Kingdom Hearts III: Reconnect
by KingdomLight
Summary: Join Sora and his friends on an amazing adventure through many old and new worlds on a quest to stop Master Xehanort and his forces from re-enacting a war that brought darkness to the worlds. A mysterious book that foretells the future, the fate of three fallen Keyblade wielders and the secrets of a lengendary war all await. SoKai. TerrAqua. Clerith. Squinoa.
1. Thinking of You, Wherever You Are

_"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light._

 _Everyone loved the light."_

 _"Then, people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves."_

 _"And darkness was born in their hearts."_

 _"The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many peoples' hearts. It covered everything and the world disappeared."_

 _"But small fragments of light survived...in the hearts of children."_

 _"With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world._

 _It's the world we live in now."_

 _"But the true light sleeps deep within the darkness."_

 _"That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other."_

 _"But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open..._

 _...and the true light will return."_

* * *

 **Kingdom Hearts III: Reconnect**

 **Chapter One - Thinking of You, Wherever You Are**

The sound of the steady ocean waves were heard as they crashed along the shoreline, seagulls chirping above.

Sora lazily opened his eyes, staring up at the bright blue cloudless sky and the radiant sun that cast a golden glow over all of the Destiny Islands.

The brown-haired Keyblade wielder sat up and looked towards the blue waters that stretched endlessly before him. The ocean was constant, traveling beyond the main island where his family and the other island-dwellers had lived, and continuing onwards until the sea almost seemed to fade into the sky.

To some, the islands were home.

To others, it was a prison, surrounded by water, caging those within.

With a sleepy yawn, he rested back down. 'I must have fallen asleep after I returned,' he thought to himself, closing his eyes.

After celebrating Riku's success in earning his status as a true Keyblade Master after saving Sora during their Mark of Mastery exam, Sora had left the others at Master Yen Sid's tower and had returned to the realm of sleep. Once there, he had visited the lantern-lit districts of Traverse Town, where he had spent his time with the spirit Dream Eaters he had befriended and fought alongside within the realm of sleep.

After spending a few hours in the now quiet town, happy that his spirit friends had found a place in the realm of sleep to live in peace, Sora had returned to his home world and found himself once again taken by sleep, savoring this moment of solitude and peace before he knew it would come to an end.

Returning to the island of his youth was a bittersweet feeling.

He recalled the memories of all the days where he, RIku and Kairi played on the island and dreamed of building a raft to set off and explore unreached territories. He never realized just how much was out there beyond his home.

Riku was right. Their island truly was a "a little piece of something much greater".

Something clutched at his heart when Sora thought of the fateful night their island had fallen to the darkness, which opened the gateway to his exploration of the many worlds, meeting new friends that stayed etched on his heart and using the Keyblade to repel and defeat the darkness.

After already having a lifetime of adventures in his teenage body, he knew two things were certain.

The feeling of being on his island was never going to feel quite the same as it did before he explored the outside worlds.

And a raft would have never gotten the job done.

His thoughts wandered to Riku and Kairi. The day before Sora had arrived back home, Riku and King Mickey had come to bring Kairi to Master Yen Sid on an important request that the old wizard had for her. If Riku and Kairi hadn't passed a message on to Sora and Kairi's parents, the Keyblade wielder would have spent hours searching the islands for the young Princess of Heart.

'I wonder how Riku and Kairi are doing? And what could Master Yen Sid want?'

He was suddenly taken out of his thoughts when he heard a small splash and the soft clanking of metal as it hit against the coastline.

He opened one eyes in curiosity and scanned his surroundings. He was certain he was the only one on the island. He sat up and tilted his head when he saw the sunlight's reflection hit against the metal edge of something further down on the sandy beach.

The boy stood up from his resting place and trailed through the sand towards the shoreline and when he saw the object, his eyes widened in surprise.

"A Keyblade?"

He reached down to pick up the Keyblade by the hilt and studied both sides of the blade. It had a silver and maroon handle with a thin black blade. His eyebrows furrowed when he realized the blade was often used, given the scuff and scratch marks along it.

With the Keyblade in hand, he stared off towards the setting sun on the water's horizon.

"Where did this come from?"

* * *

At that same moment, on the dark, distant shores of an opposite ocean many worlds away, a tired young woman kneeled, looking off in the direction that she had sent the Keyblade. The young Keyblade master stared off into the distance, looking out towards the dark waters for any sign that the Keyblade made it to wherever it was supposed to be headed.

Aqua sighed and rested against one of the dark stones behind her.

Looking beyond the sea, past the twisted black stones that seemed to grow from within the ocean's depths, the moon was framed, contrasting against the rest of the darkness.

The sight of some form of light was the only thing that gave her help in this realm of darkness.

"Sora, I hope you'll find a way...because I'm starting to lose mine," she said, closing her eyes and resting her head back.

* * *

 **The Mysterious Tower**

Riku smirked to himself, bringing forth his Keyblade to fend off the attack, before he barely dodged a fireball sent his way.

"Come on, Lea." Riku motioned to the red-haired man to use his blade, "You'll never become a Keyblade Master unless you actually, you know, use your Keyblade. You can only rely so much on your magic. Didn't Merlin teach you that?"

Lea scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Well, when I signed up for training under Master Yen Sid, I thought I was gonna be doing some fun missions, not these endless battles with you!"

"Being a Keyblade Master takes a lot of hard work!" Riku shrugged, before quickly bringing his Keyblade up to fend off another one of Lea's attacks. He barely had enough time to recover before he jolted to the left, just barely dodging as a different Keyblade was swung towards him. He counter-attacked and knocked the Keyblade from its' wielder's hands.

Riku turned to Kairi, "And haven't I told you before? You have to be ready for your enemy to anticipate your attack and think of an alternate."

"I'm trying!" Kairi defended, "You know, we're not all skilled Keyblade wielders, like you and Sora! I'm still learning!"

"Yeah, clearly you could use a lot of work," Lea joked, which received a glare to him from the young Princess of Heart.

Riku diffused the situation and stepped between them, "Alright, simmer down. Clearly when Master Yen Sid asked Merlin and I to help train you, I didn't realize the ground work we would have to do."

Riku had returned with Mickey from Radiant Garden earlier that day, bringing Kairi and Lea back with them. They had spent the last few days training with Merlin upon Master Yen Sid's request and were slowly honing their skills with using the Keyblade and their magical abilities. The four had returned earlier when Yen Sid had arranged a meeting to discuss the details of the upcoming adventure.

They would continue their training until Sora would arrive.

Riku walked over to the corner of the secret training room the Master kept hidden away within the tower and leant his Keyblade against the wall, turning back to the two and crossing his arms. "Okay, we're gonna start a little simpler then."

Lea lurched over, letting out a sigh, before wiping the sweat from his brow. "Can't we take a little break?"

"Yeah, we've been going at it for hours now," Kairi agreed.

The white-haired young man simply shook his head and shrugged, "We don't have the time to rest - not with Xehanort building an army and posing a threat to the worlds. We have to make sure we're prepared. Sora and I can't do it alone."

"Okay, but just a teensy little breather couldn't hurt, right?" Lea suggested. "I'll be all rested and ready to go by the time Xehanort finishes a sentence."

"One more round, Lea." Riku compromised. "Come on."

"Alright, alright. Let's just get on with it then." The red-haired man grasped his Keyblade tighter and got into a stance, ready to do his best against the newly-named Keyblade Master.

Riku let out a small chuckle, "Oh no no, not against me. You already complained I was too much for you to battle, so you're going up against someone more your speed."

"Who?" Lea tilted his head.

Riku smiled, shifting his gaze between Lea and Kairi.

Kairi smiled and got into a battle stance a few feet away from her fellow trainee. "I'm ready."

Lea's mouth slightly dropped when he caught on with what Riku was implying. "Her? The girl? That's what I'm compared to? Come on!"

"Hey, watch it!" Kairi defended, pointing her Keyblade towards Lea. "Give me a little more training and I'll be able to duel just as good as Sora or Riku."

"Good commitment, Kairi," Riku smiled at his friend. "Now, Lea, what did I teach you about battle with the Keyblade?"

He sighed and recited with a montone voice, "Never underestimate your opponent...even if it's...a girl."

"Good." The Keyblade Master pressed his back against the wall, giving the two the battle space they needed for this next round of training.

"Now, begin!"

Kairi and Lea rushed towards each other, Keyblades in hand, the next duel commencing.

The sound of the clashing Keyblades could be heard from outside of the tall tower, as Donald and Goofy sat on the stone steps leading up to the large wooden doorway of the fortress.

As the Royal Wizard and Royal Knight to the King of Disney Castle, they took their roles very seriously and guarded the entrance to the tower from any unsuspected intruders. while the King and his Master discussed matters in Yen Sid's loft above. Even though the two had served as companions to Mickey and Sora and had become quite skilled in combat over the years, a feeling of uncertainty washed over them concering the outcome of the raging war that was certain to re-surface as it had done before all those years ago.

Goofy rested with his hands behind his head and turned to companion, "Gawrsh, I hope Sora is okay. How long did he say he was going to be home?"

"Until tomorrow, I think. Besides, I'm sure he's okay. He can take care of himself." Donald got up from his sitting position and looked off in the direction that his friend had left in. "He said he'd only be gone for a little bit, but knowing him, who knows what kind of trouble he got himself in."

Goofy sat up, a worried look on his face when he turned to the duck. "Gawrsh, you don't think Xehanort...," he gulped, the fear in his throat making him lose his ability to speak when he thought of harm potentially falling upon Sora or any one of his friends.

"Don't be silly, Goofy! I'm sure Sora's safe..." Even Donald couldn't fully hide the slight doubt that rose in his voice as he continued to speak.

There was no sense in hiding the concern in their voices. Ever since the group at Yen Sid's tower had caught on to what Xehanort was inevitably planning on doing, the concern and safety for their friends was at the forefront.

"You know, I'm sure you're right, Donald." Goofy said, before taking hold of his shield and standing to his feet. "So, do you really think we can take on all those Xehanorts?"

"Who knows?" Donald turned to his friend and replied honestly, "But I know we all won't go down without a fight! Right?"

"Right! And we'll protect the King, no matter what! Sora, too! And...gawrsh, I guess everyone else, too, huh?"

Their mood shifted and the worries between them had slowly dimished.

"Exactly! When the King first asked us to go on this mission, we didn't know what was in store, but we make it through every time! We'll make it through this time, too!"

"Yeah!" Goofy agreed, "And we already fought different Xehanorts before and they weren't nothin' too bad...even if it is thirteen of 'em."

"Ha! I don't care if it's fifteen of 'em! I'll bop them on the head and tell him to stop being a big palooka!" Donald said triumphantly, raising his magical staff into the air.

As the two of them continued to talk about their strategies on taking out their rivals in battle, they didn't notice the dark shadow that emerged from the bushes nearby. The antennae of the shadow twitched as it sensed the two beings nearby and slowly flattened itself into the ground, slowly and quietly approaching its' prey.

"My magic will blast him away!" Donald cheered.

"And I'll block his attacks with my shield! Just like when we fought Xemnas in Radiant Garden!"

"No, no! That was Xehanort's Heartless back when it was called Hollow Bastion," Donald corrected.

"Gawrsh, I thought his name was Ansem?"

"No, remember he was the apprentice to Ansem the Wise and stole his name! It's all in Jiminy's Journal!"

The shadow emerged behind Donald and Goofy.

Goofy continued, scratching his head. "Well, then why was Sora fighting Riku at Hollow Bastion?"

"Noooo, that was Riku being controlled by...Maleficent? Or was it Xehanort?" Donald stopped then corrected himself, "No, that was Anse-NOOO! That was Xehanort's Heartless!"

"And there's Xemnas, too. Who...was the apprentice Xehanort guy's Heartless'...Nobody...right?" Goofy said, rubbing his now hurting forehead. "So, then who's the Xehanort we're fighting now?"

"I...I have no idea. I'm confused." Donald gave up understanding the logic behind their enemies many different forms, "But we'll beat him, that's what matters!"

The two of them were taken out of their conversation when Donald felt something nudge his backside.

"Ack!" Donald jumped slightly. His eyelids lowered, a stern look on his face as he turned around to inspect the nuisance. "Hey, what's the big idea?"

"Heartless!?"

Donald and Goofy nearly jumped out of their skin from the surprise encounter, but dodged the shadow that moved towards them. Behind that shadow, another small army of shadow Heartless came crawling from the far side of the floating island that Yen Sid's Master had made his home.

"Wak! Where'd they come from?" Donald questioned, looking left and right, examining the number of Heartless they were up against. A small army of them had built.

"Come on, Donald! We can't let them get inside the tower!" Goofy said, moving his shield in front of them before barreling through several Heartless like a cannon.

"Thunder!" Donald jumped up into the air, raising his staff into the air, as from the heavens above, streaks of thunder darted through the air, striking through the Heartless, causing them to explode into dark clouds before disappearing completely.

Goofy bolted through another series of shadows, destroying each of them as they exploded into a puff of darkness. Before long, the shadows had been defeated and the base of the tower had returned to its' quiet state.

With their battle now over, the two of them took a moment to recover, as they found a tiny box that one of the shadows must have dropped after it had been defeated.

"Hmm, what's this?' Donald moved towards the box, picked it up and examined it closely. "Hmmm, a 'Pretty Stone'?" Any excitement died down when the duck realized the item was a dud.

"Cheap synthesis item." He said, before kicking the box off the side of the floating island, into the fog-filled endless abyss.

Goofy was too distracted to notice Donald's disregard for the item, as his eyes were caught by something else. "Gawrsh, Donald. Look at that."

"Wha-" Donald turned around and looked to where his companion had been pointing.

His eyes followed the direction of Goofy's finger, and sure enough, just beyond the steps leading up into the tower, he saw what seemed to be an injured shadow, staring up into the sky.

"It's a Heartless..." Goofy said, cautiously approaching the creature with his shield in hand.

"Goofy, be careful! It could be a trap!" Donald warned, "He could pounce on you the second you turn away. Confounded Heartless!"

When Goofy had approached the Heartless, he lowered his shield upon seeing the shadow. The shadow winced in pain and let out a small gasp for breath. It's antenna had been broken out of place.

"Aww, it's hurt. Poor thing." Goofy knelt down next to the shadow.

"Poor thing!?" Donald questioned, "Goofy, it's a Heartless! You just took out a bunch of them!"

"I know, but...gawrsh, it doesn't look like it wants to cause any trouble." Goofy leaned in and spoke to the shadow. "Do you want to cause us any trouble?"

The shadow twitched its' one working antenna and tried to roll onto its' side, but couldn't.

"I'll take that as a 'no'!" Goofy replied, cheerfully.

"We should just put the thing out of its' misery," Donald suggested.

"But you know I won't let you, Donald," Goofy said, turning his attention back to the shadow.

"I know." Donald sighed, but his eyes widened when he saw Goofy help roll the shadow over onto his shield, before he stood up and began the walk up the stone steps to the tower.

"Goofy, what are you doing!?" Donald asked, wide-eyed. "If you let that thing into the tower, Master Yen Sid will not be happy!"

"Gawrsh, Donald, I know, but..." Goofy frowned, "I can't just leave it hurt out here. I'm sure the Master will understand." Without another word, Goofy entered the tower with the injured shadow in tow.

Donald stood there for a moment, before he dropped his arms down to his sides, exasperated. "Great. Take the enemy right into the only place we're safe, why don't ya?"

The duck ran in to the tower after his friend. "Goofy, wait for me!' He raced up the steps to the tower, heading towards Yen Sid's loft. He wasn't sure what the Master would be more upset with - that he and Goofy almost became too distracted and let shadows into the tower, or that they actually took an injured shadow into the tower with them!

Before Donald could ponder too much on the subject matter, he arrived in Yen Sid's chamber, with Goofy presenting the injured shadow before Master Yen Sid, King Mickey, Riku, Kairi and Lea.

Yen Sid's eyes widened when he saw the creature of darkness lying in Goofy's shield. The Master slowly approached the shadow.

King Mickey carefully watched as his Master walked past him and examined the shadow, a look of concern on the King's face.

Yen Sid looked up from the shadow and at Donald and Goofy, "What happened here?"

"Well, you see, uhm, Master...," Donald started, "...we were outside guarding the tower like you asked whe-"

"An army of shadows appeared from the darkness, but after we got rid of most of 'em, we found this little guy...and well, it was injured...I couldn't just leave him," Goofy finished.

"Nice story." Lea scratched the back of his head. "Happy endings for all, heh. Including the bad guys."

Yen Sid took a few steps towards Donald and Goofy, his brows furrowing. Donald and Goofy seemed to shrink in his shadow and the frightening look in his eyes seemed to send a chill up their spines.

"You brought darkness into my home?" Yen Sid questioned. His voice rose, "This tower has been protected by the realm of light ever since my own Master had built it."

King Mickey's timid voice interjected, trying his best to defend his loyal friends, "Gosh, u-um, Master Yen Sid, it doesn't look like it w-wants to hurt us?"

Yen Sid shot a quick glare down to his apprentice, which caused the mouse to divert his gaze and back away immediately.

Goofy looked around the room, before bowing his head before Yen Sid. "I'm sorry, Master Yen Sid."

Yen Sid shut his eyes and sighed, "It seems our guardians of light can also be guardians of darkness." Yen Sid took the shield from Goofy, before looking back down at he and Donald. "Don't make a habit out of it. Just this one time exception."

Yen Sid took the shadow over to the shelves of knick-knacks, books and magical items that was kept along the walls of his quarters. He took down a glass jar and removed the lid, before securely placing the shadow inside, leaving it to recuperate. After he placed the lid back on, he waved his hand over the lid, causing it to glow for a brief moment.

"I have placed a protection spell on the lid to make sure the shadow doesn't cause any problems. Once it is healed, it can be set free, back to the realm of darkness where it came." The Master handed the jar to Donald, "I trust you'll keep an eye on it?"

"I won't let it out of my sight." Donald re-assured the wizard. He turned his focus to the re-cuperating shadow in the jar. "You better behave. Got it?"

When Donald looked into the glass jar, seeing the injured shadow inside, it's belly slowly rising and falling, with the way it's arms and legs occasionally twitched caused a chill to sweep over his skin. "Agh, this thing is kinda...spooky."

Kairi leaned in to the jar and examined the shadow, "I don't know, I think it's kinda cute. It reminds me of when Sora was turned into one of these." She tried to hide her giggle and smile with her hand.

"Great. Just what we need..." Lea began, "...a Heartless mascot to take into battle against Xehanort."

Yen Sid turned from the group then and made his way behind his desk, towards the star and moon shaped windows that looked out into the twinkling stars of the night sky above that mystical realm.

"Now, that one unnecessary evil is taken care of, there are more important matters at hand." The old wizard ran his hand through his beard and closed his eyes, as if sensing something. His eyes slowly opened and looked out of the windows to the world before him.

"Master Xehanort is close." He lowered his head, "The war is upon us. It won't be long now, that is certain."

Riku walked up towards the window, standing side by side with the Keyblade Master. "I...I can feel it, too. Darkness. Approaching...darkness."

Riku felt as if a knot formed in his chest and welled up until it was about to burst. The feeling of a distant darkness approaching felt like it weighed him down and at that moment, Riku's heart had never felt heavier. As someone who had struggled with, faced and overcame the darkness, he could sense the power and direction of the darkness.

More than anything, he was terrified. The darkness had tempted him once and though he succumbed, he overcame it. He didn't know if he would be so lucky a second time. He didn't want to know.

"Xehanort's forces are growing," Yen Sid confirmed.

The rest of the group joined Yen Sid and Riku at the windows, looking out towards the endless hazy fog and rolling mountains in the distance. There was an eerie calm outside, one that almost foretold the approaching danger.

Yen Sid closed his eyes and lifted his hands towards the window. There was a brief moment of silence and struggled concentration for the wizard but within moments, a screen of light seemed to ascend from within the depths of the world and wrap around the island the tower was on. The screen formed a barrier surrounding the world and after a moment, the visible barrier turned invisible.

"There. A barrier spell, to repel the darkness away. It won't last forever, but it should subdue Xehanort's darkness for now." Having completed the utmost protection the skilled wizard could accomplish, he sighed and took a seat at his desk.

Riku turned to him, "What do we do now?"

The wizard took a deep breath, closing his eyes before continuing, "Sora must return as soon as possible..."

"Our fate rests on him."

* * *

Evening had fallen over the Destiny Islands and Sora had returned to his family's house on the main island. Although he knew that he shold have spent as much time with his parents as he could have, especially after the last couple of years of his adventure, his family was somewhat 'fractured'.

Though, he couldn't help but feel as though something had called him to the island that day.

Looking down at the new Keyblade in hand, he was certain that it was more than just coincidence. It was destiny.

He would be returning to Master Yen Sid's tower first thing in the morning, but one problem remained - letting his parents know.

When he returned to the island after being away for so long, his father and mother were so overjoyed for his return. He told his parents about his role as the Keyblade Wielder - to travel through the worlds and seal the Keyholes. It was a role that was honored and respected, one that he did with pride, especially since he believed the Keyblade chose him as its' wielder.

He couldn't have been happier when his parents understood and supported him, though it would never take away how much they missed him.

Though, he truly didn't tell his parents everything. In fact, he kept the requirements in his role as a Keyblade Wielder to a bare minimum when it came to his parents. He'd never let them know how much danger he truly faced, nor the things that had happened to him. He knew that if he knew, they would never allow him to leave the house - not even to take the quick boat ride to the island. They didn't know about the constant danger. They didn't have to know, but more importantly to him, he didn't want them to know.

He wasn't lying to them, just 'withholding ' information.

A lot of information.

He stared out his open bedroom window, looking out at the peaceful nighttime sky that seemed to cover the Destiny Islands like a blanket. He was then taken out of his thoughts.

"Sora? Dinner's ready come on down."

He leaned out to close the window to his bedroom, but not before hiding the new Keyblade he'd found under his bedsheets.

"Sora?" His mother's voice called from downstairs.

"Coming!"

He could only hope that his parents would understand his continuous departure as a part of his role as a Keyblade wielder.

He could only hope.

The next ten minutes passed in silence as he, his father and his mother quietly at their meal after Sora had told them the news of his departure in the morning.

The next ten minutes were what he would recall as 'The Most Awkward Family Dinner Til Now'.

The minutes seemed to last for hours, as he tossed the food around his plate, not having even taken a single bite of it. From his lowered gaze, his eyes darted up to examine his parents.

His father, who had been a practically identical image to Sora quietly ate his meal, his expression not cluing Sora into what he was feeling, but that was pretty much always the case - so, there was nothing new there.

His mother on the other hand, who he got most of his chipper, upbeat personality from, pushed her shoulder-length brown hair back and looked as if she was fighting the urge to cry the entire dinner.

The minutes continued to pass, every second of the clock's 'tick' being the only noise that filled the quiet room.

Sora felt the silence begin to unnerve him, but couldn't quite find the voice to say anything yet.

He felt a sense of relief wash over him when his father finally broke the silence. "So, you're leaving tomorrow? Good for you, it'd be good for you to see rare sights,meet new friends, broaden your horizons, you know?"

"Y-yeah," was all Sora could say, somewhat confused that his father was taken the situation rather light-heartedly.

His father continued, "I know there are many people that would like to leave the island if given the opportunity, just to see what's out there, but they're too settled down."

"Well, I think most people don't realize that they can travel to other worlds, it's not really something...everyone can do so easily."

"Ah, right." His father continued, trying to gesture to his wife to contribute to the conversation, but she was kept busy staring at her plate. His father went on, "You know, back when I was your age, maybe a little younger, I heard rumors of a kid wanting a way to leave the islands and finding it. You ever hear of that?"

"Y-yeah." Sora nodded, knowing that the man his father talked of was none other than that of his nemesis, Xehanort.

His father laughed then, "Back then, we always thought it was just superstition - a rumor. Other people even said they saw the same man return to the islands soon after. So, I don't think any one really believed that he left at all. Why return to a place you tried escaping from in the first place?"

"I don't know." Sora shrugged, slightly looking off to see how his mom was doing.

"But I guess with you leaving now, you proved us all wrong, huh, kiddo?"

"Y-yeah." Sora bit his lower lip before turning to his mom. "Mom, are you...okay?"

She looked up from her plate, almost with a look of shock. She swallowed the food and cleared her throat, "Yes, I'm fine." She smiled lightly, but it faded almost as soon as it appeared.

Sora tilted his head, seeing through the facade she put on. "Mom...are you...mad?"

She looked at him, her gaze softening. "Mad? Sora...never." She got up from her seat then and took the open seat that was closer to Sora. "I couldn't be more prouder of you."

"We both couldn't be." His father added in.

Sora felt a burden lift from him, feeling better now that his parents were finally talking to him. "Well, then...why aren't you saying anything?"

His mother took a deep breath, placing her elbows on the table and her face in her palms. "Because even after you've been gone for so long, I still don't know how to say goodbye. It doesnt get any easier either when you leave on these...'quests'...at the drop of a hat."

Sora smiled lightly, knowing that his mother was the type to become emotional very easily.

She rose from her seat and went over to the living room where there was a table filled with pictures of them - pictures of memories.

"Look. This was you the first day we took you to the island and you were so afraid of the water, you wouldn't go anywhere near it." She smiled tracing the picture of her three year old son. "And this one. This was when your dad and you found that secret cave on the island and started drawing pictures on the walls. Your dad did his best to draw a chocobo since they were your favorite as a kid."

Sora smiled, but it was bittersweet because he knew where his mother was going with this.

"And here's you and Riku on his ninth birthday. He was over here so much, we practically raised him like he was our own son." She lifted another frame up, "And here's you and Kairi walking off to school one day."

"Mom..."

She went back to him, "Sora, what I'm trying to say is - here, this island...it's filled with so many memories of our family...but for the last two years...we don't have many...or any."

Sora tried not to let the tears sting his eyes when he felt the pain in his mother's voice.

She finished, "Sora, what I mean to say is...I don't want you to become the boy that decides to leaves the island one day and never returns."

His dad smiled when his wife was finally able to vocalize what he knew would take her ten minutes to express. "There it is."

"There it is." Sora smiled. He turned to his mom then, "Mom, I'll be back - I promise. And I'll...be the same I always have been. Everything will be."

His parents smiled and nodded, accepting his answer. They continued their dinner and enjoyed whatever time they had left with their son.

It was a promise he had made with all of his heart.

But it wasn't meant to be.

* * *

The endless realm of darkness.

The road through the void of darkness stretched onward, never ending. A lifetime of walking and with every step, another shred of hope shattered. It seemed as though time was frozen - no, not just time, but life. It was like moving through a dream.

Or a dark nightmare.

One could look as hard as they were able to not find even the smallest glimmer of light.

In this realm, only two things were constant - the road ahead and the darkness that awaited beyond it.

Her eyes opened then.

She laid there for a brief moment, not realizing where or when she was, but the moment she felt the presence of a dark figure pass over her, she knew exactly where she was.

She instantly sprung up and stumbled to her feet, examining the dark realm around her.

"How did I-?" She whispered to herself, the scare of being awoken in the unfamiliar setting taking all the power out of her voice.

"Again..." She understood. She was a wanderer - a wanderer of darkness. Not Aqua, not a Keyblade Master, just someone passing through.

It was the effect that the realm of darkness had on its' visitors. The endless walking, the constant pursuit of darkness following any trail of the living, fighting off the dark demons that lurked in the shadows - the eternal sadness that destroyed the soul and the mind.

After spending some time in the realm of darkness, Aqua still would never get used to the effect this world wrought its' dwellers - no one ever would. She would spend most of the hours walking wherever the road brought her.

And when she wasn't walking, she was fighting the darkness that threatened to snuff out what little light she had left.

And when she wasn't fighting, she was sleeping - because sleep brought the only world of peace to her, for her only to wake up in a dark nightmare again.

Again.

And again.

Traveling forever through the deceiving darkness.

Even as she slept and dreamed, she would continue to wander through the dark - her body never knowing rest.

Her smile had left her years ago.

She took a few steps forward, realizing she was wondering again. She had fallen asleep along the Dark Meridian next to the cloaked man she had spoken with. The two of them stayed there, refusing to move - as they were the only kind company they had to each other in this world.

But Aqua would still wander.

She made her way back down the road she believed she came from, trailing down towards the dark path that cuth through the darkness, only leading to deeper darkness. Ahead, she passed under a dark arch made of stone that lead under a purple abyss that streamed from the darkness.

'I don't remember coming this way before.' She turned around to look back at the way she had come, only for her to realize the single road she was just walking on had completely changed to a large piece of flat land that lead to a different part of the realm of darkness.

Endless wandering.

She returned back the way she came, hoping that the road would take her back to the beach and her companion, but what she stumbled upon, she never would have guessed.

Her breath caught in her throat when, for the second time traversing through the realm of darkness, she stumbled upon the Castle of Dreams, the tall castle rising from the sea of darkness she was traversing through.

Her footprints echoed as she slowly made her way towards the castle. Her heart hurt when she saw the castle - a place of dreams, of happily ever afters - now filled with hopelessness and despair.

'Terra.' Her mind always went to him when she thought of the notion of dreams. The last time she had visited this castle while it was in the realm of light, she stumbled across Terra in one of the few times their paths crossed before she, Terra and Ventus had been forced to face their separate fates.

Now, the castle had returned to haunt her again.

She made her way to the grand stone staircase of the castle, now etched in darkness and years of decay.

'I was certain this castle would have returned to the realm of light with Sora's help...' She thought to herself, before moving through the grand castle doors.

But what she saw once inside of the castle stopped her in her tracks.

"This...this is impossible. This isn't supposed to be here..." Aqua whispered, as she walked through the Grand Hall of her former home in the Land of Departure.

She realized the realm of darkness played tricks on the mind - presented visions and disoriented the truth to cloud the mind, but nothing like this.

She knew the fate of her world - destroyed by Master Xehanort, transformed by herself into a castle of endless oblivion with her best friend locked away deep within.

But now...

The hall was bright and beautiful, light spilling through the windows to the glowing world outside. The hall looked the same it did the day she finished her Mark of Mastery exam and was titled a true Keyblade Wielder.

And for the first time ever, somehow...she felt like she was home again.

"I'm home?"

"You're home."

The moment the voice spoke behind her, her heart lifted. She hadn't heard his voice in over a decade and yet, she knew it instantly. She turned around to see him there and her breath caught instantly.

She felt the tears sting her eyes, but for the first time in years, they were out of happiness to be reunited with someone dear she lost so long ago.

"Terra," she whispered, seeing him there - handsome, strong and free.

"Hello, Aqua." His smile beamed through the endless darkness she spent years traveling through.

And for the first time in a while...she smiled again.

She went to him - quickly, afraid that at any moment, he might disappear. She didn't really even mind if they were in the realm of darkness, at least they were together to find a way out.

Without a moment to spare, she wrapped her arms around him and embraced him. When his arms held her closely to him, that's when she knew - she really was home.

She slightly pulled back from him, tears of hope and happiness in her eyes. "I...I don't understand. Why...How are you here?"

He smiled down at her, his hand lifting up to wipe the tears from her face. "I'm here to save you, Aqua." He continued, "I've been trapped in this darkness all this time, but now we can escape this - together."

Aqua's smile grew, "Together."

Terra let go of her then and scratched the back of his head, "I have to say, I came here to practice though. I'm a little nervous about returning today."

She tilted her head, curiously. "Today? What's today?"

"The Mark of Mastery."

Aqua looked at him, confused.

"You know how things went the last time." He tilted his head and smiled, "I figured I could use the help of a true Keyblade Master to make sure I succeed. Being a true Keyblade Master is all I've ever dreamed about."

A small smile spread on her lips, her eyes gazing into his.

He offered his hand to her with a charming smile. "Teach me?"

She placed her hand in his own, as he led her to the center of the Grand Hall. With every step she took, the memories of their time together here - them with Ventus and Master Eraqus, came rushing back to her at once.

The couple stopped in the middle of the hall, bathed in the warmth of the light that came through the windows and spread throughout the room.

She looked up into his eyes and within their endless blue, she saw so many things - happiness, hope, love...a future.

He smiled down at her, inching closer to her, slowly raising his hand to caress her cheek.

She felt his breath on her neck and felt her heart pulse, getting lost in his eyes. She saw a brightness sparkle in them...and if that was the only light this realm offered, that was the only light she'd need.

"Terra, this is everything I've ever hoped for us." She smiled, a tear down her face. "Us...and Ven. Home. It's like a dream come true."

"I know." Terra said, taking his hands away from her, "It's a shame we never got it."

A distant tremble shook the world.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I'm not really here. I was never here. I should be, but I'm not." He pulled away from her then. "All for one reason..."

A louder tremble shook the world.

Aqua's smile faded with his.

"You failed me."

Aqua's eyes widened as all light left the hall and her world turned dark.

Lighting flashed outside as the sound of thunder ripped through the air. The hall was destroyed, stone walls caved in, debris falling about the hall, smashed windows showing the outside world of darkness.

The roof disappeared, sucked up into an endless void of darkness, as her world was destroyed as it was once before.

Another strike of lighting illuminated the figure of the same, but different man before her.

He was Terra no more. His dark hair had whitened, his smile gone, his eyes - the eyes she loved - the endless blue now just a dark gold, all light faded from them.

The man abruptly turned his face to the right, watching as a wall of the hall caved in, leading to Ventus' room. The young boy was asleep in his old bed in his now destroyed bedroom.

"Ven!" Aqua called out to him. In a bright flash, Ven's hair grayed, as his skin began to wrinkle and decay, the endless years of sleep finally catching up to him and claiming his now elderly body. She gasped in shock, watching as the storm of darkness destroying the hall ripped through him, destroying him and lifting his ashes away with the wind. "NO!"

Another flash of lightning blinded her and then, appearing behind her, she gasped when she saw the dead corpse of her former Master, Eraqus.

"No! No!" Aqua cried out, trying to stop the nightmarish images from flashing through her mind.

Eraqus' body lurched up then and sat up. His head snapped out of place to face directly towards her, just the whites of his eyes staring at her. "I thought you said Terra wasn't as weak as I thought. You promised to bring him back." Darkness started to spew from his mouth then and pooled around him.

"I'd say you're the weak one now." The contorted body of her deceased Master sunk into the pool of darkness then.

Aqua turned back to face the man that was once Terra - now, just another vessel for Xehanort.

An impulse of darkness forced the man up into the air, pulling him back into a cyclone of darkness.

Aqua extended out her hands and reached for him, tightly holding his hands within her own, trying to pull him from the darkness that threatened to pull him in further.

"Goodbye, Aqua!" The man yelled above the sound of thunder and the hall collapsing.

"No, Terra!" She pulled harder at the possessed man. "I can save you!"

"NO, YOU CAN'T SAVE ME! YOU FAILED ME! THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO!"

"TERRA, PLEASE!" She held onto him for dear life, looking into his eyes,

For a brief moment, his eyes returned.

"Don't fail Ven."

Aqua cried out, as the man was pulled from her grasps. She was forced to watch as he was yet again pulled further into the darkness.

Then, her vision went black, Terra's final words ringing through her ears.

She sprung up then, eyes wide, gasping for breath.

Before her was the endless ocean of the Dark Meridian reflected under the moonlight. She'd never left this spot since she came across the robed man along its' dark waters some time ago.

'Another nightmare.' Aqua concluded, her breath even out as her heartbeat finally returned to normal. 'How many more endless paths and terrifying dreams does it take before one...falls to the darkness...just like he did.'

She understood then. Trailing through the darkness, it was so much easier to accept defeat and let yourself sink further into it then to fight the endless battle against it.

She looked down, her hand rising to her heart. 'I'm sorry, Terra. I didn't know how things were for you - how difficult it was to battle the darkness.'

"Hmm?" On the rock next to her, the robed man turned to her. "I'm glad to see you're still alive. You've been asleep for some time."

"For how long?" the blue-haired mage questioned.

The man turned his face away from her, pondering. "Days...perhaps even, months."

She looked down, understanding that time was like an illusion in the realm of darkness. In the blink of an eye, minutes, days, years were all but gone.

When she stumbled upon this myserious man in the realm of darkness, he was the sole comfort she could find. They conversed like old companions and talked about their lives or, in the man's case, what little he could salvage from his memory. It was the only form of companionship they could find now that they were in this doomed realm.

She turned from him then, looking out to sea. "I failed him."

"Hm?"

"A...friend. Someone who's very important to me. When falling into this realm, I did what I could to save him - hoping that he would be pulled out of the darkness...but I failed...he's only sunken in deeper."

The man turned to her then, "I'm sorry." It was a simple, but sincere response, but gien the man's state, he didn't know what else to say. With every passing second, the man's memory was stripped away. Having been banished to this realm prior to the initial defeat of Xehanort's Nobody, the many months spent here took their toll on him. His name, his past. his purpose, all the different layers of Ansem the Wise, now lost to him - memories now lost to the darkness.

"We've been gone too long." She stood up and trailed off a little further towards the ocean waters. "So much time has passed, I can feel it. Ven's been asleep, Terra's been...taken by the dark...all this time."

With the man slowly heaving himself up from the rock where he sat, he slowly made his way towards the young woman, who was a little bit further down the beach and stood by her side. When the man stumbled, she was there to help him.

"Another moment longer in this realm, we might as well just fade into the darkness." She turned to look at the man then. "Sora's our only hope now."

She turned back to look at the sea, "We must stop Master Xehanort."

Ansem's eyebrows furrowed and his eyes widened.

A piece of his memory was chained together again.

* * *

Although asleep, Sora felt himself falling through the dark. He descended through the air, feeling the lightness of his body float down through the darkness. He had fallen until his feet landed on a solid floor. He opened his eyes then and took a step forward.

From beneath his feet, the ground broke apart into dozens of flying doves beneath him, as the wind swept through his hair. The brown-haired Keyblade wielder looked up, watching as the doves flew up into the darkness.

He stood on a circular stained glass platform. On the footing of this platform, the image of Sora sleeping appeared with circular images of Riku, Kairi, Donald and Goofy behind him.

Through the silence of this space that represented Sora's heart, a calm voice called out to him - the same voice that had always spoken to him from his heart.

"So much to do, so little time..."

As the voice spoke, Sora's thoughts instantly when to the war that was descending down upon himself and his friends against Xehanort's forces.

"Take your time. Don't be afraid - you hold the mightiest weapon of all."

"Open your heart and listen."

"I heard your voice...and it cut through the darkness around me and brought me to you, Sora."

"My heart was fractured, but your light helped me make it whole again."

"The light may be asleep deep within the darkness, but one day it will return and the light will create a new heart."

" _Remember Sora_."

" _You are the one who will open the door to the light_."

* * *

Before he opened his eyes, he saw a vision of Roxas. No - it wasn't Roxas, but a boy who looked identical to him. A moment later, the vision was gone and Sora awoke.

Sora lazily opened his eyes, the sunrise that washed over the Destiny Islands streaming through his window. He got up and scratched through his spiky hair.

"Another dream about him."

He got out of bed and quickly gathered his things, knowing that his parents were downstairs waiting for his departure. He grabbed a backpack filled with different items, not that he necessarily needed them, he did it more to keep up appearances in hopes of evading any of his parents' questioning about his adventures.

Before he left his bedroom, he grabbed the new Keyblade he had found on the beach the day before from under his bed. He grasped the handle tighter and as a light illuminated from the blade, the Keyblade disappeared.

As soon as he was ready to depart, he threw the bag over his shoulder and made his way downtairs to say goodbye to his parents.

Strolling along the the path that led up through the main island's town, Sora looked over his shoulder and smiled, waving goodbye towards his parents. His mother gave him the additional cargo of a lunchbox that Sora had ever since he was five with moogles and chocobos on it with sandwiches packed inside. Although Sora appreciated it, he clearly understood that his mom didn't know what he was up against. He wasn't going on a camping trip, after all.

Sora continued walking along the island, waving as he walked past some of the neighbors and people he new from his childhood. As he was about to leave the islands again, he became sentimental, thinking of all of the days spent at his home. As much as he enjoyed life on the island, he knew his heart was ultimately split amongst all of the other worlds he visited and he carried a little bit of each of them in his heart.

But he knew, regardless of how far he went or what world he traveled to, the Destiny Islands would always be his home.

When his parents went back inside, Sora stopped walking and rose his hand forward. From within his grasps, a stream of light appeared and the Keyblade materialized within his grasps.

He turned his head and took one last longing look at the island and smiled, content.

He pointed the blade forward and from within the Keyblade, a beam of light shot forward and expanded into a glowing blue and golden portal, a passage to another realm.

With a smile on his face, the Keyblade wielder entered the portal.

* * *

 **Twilight Town**

The lazy afternoon hung over the sleepy town. The setting sun cast a golden glow over the buildings built into the hills and slopes that the town had been built on. A few of the residents were making their way from the Tram Common, the bustling center of the town, where many of the town's shops and restaurants were found. Above, trains traveled along the tracks that were built above the town and seemed to connect all the different parts of the town by this mode of transportation. The churning sound of the passing trains became one the residents of Twilight Town became used to.

In a quiet corner of the Tram Common, there was a surge of power, before a glowing portal opened. Within moment, Sora appeared within the portal, Keyblade in hand and then moments later, the portal behind him faded.

"Twilight Town? How did I end up here?" He questioned, as he took a look around the quiet afternoon streets. "I was trying to get to the Mysterious Tower."

"Hmm. Something must have directed me here instead." He crossed his arms as he thought, "I guess I can always take the train to Master Yen Sid's tower."

He stepped out of the corner and began the walk through the quiet marketplace. As the Keyblade wielder made his way, he sensed something off about the town. Even though there always seemed to be a sleepy haze over the quiet town, the marketplace seemed quieter than it usually did.

The unsettling sound of his footprints traveling through the town was discomforting to say the least.

When he walked under the larhe archway the trams passed under, he was met by the ambush of half a dozen Nobodies.

"Nobodies?! What are they doing here?" He resumed a battle stance, before darting through the white dusks. The slender creatures lashed out, sliding along the floor, flinging out their arms to attack Sora. The Keyblade wielder rolled out of the way and counter-attacked the dusks, flinging them up into the air and slashing them.

The battle continued until not a trace of the creatures was left behind. Sora scanned the area, but before he could recuperate any further, a storm of shadow Heartless appeared.

"What?!" His eyes widened, watching as the shadows formed into a pillar of darkness, their yellow eyes piercing through the dark. The shadows climbed about one another, writhing and squirming about, almost as if it was like a tornado of shadows.

Without a word, Sora ran off in the opposite direction of the shadows. The darkness shot through the marketplace, flying through the buildings with Sora as its' target. The Keyblade wielder realized he couldn't run forever with the plume of darkness chasing after him. He jumped up onto the side of the building and flipped up into the air, raising his keyblade above his head, before splicing clean through the pillar of darkness.

With the darkness split, the two halves fell to the concrete where the darkness exploded into a sea of shadows. Sora fought his way through the swarm of shadows. As one leapt up into the air threatening to attack, Sora leapt up with it, striking the enemy down. He cut and slashed through the shadows, fighting through the dark clouds as each Heartless was defeated.

After the unexpected battle, Sora, still with Keyblade in hand, caught his breath as it slowly came back to him.

One moment, he was safe at home and the next, in the midst of battling the darkness.

"The darkness...it's become stronger."

His attention then turned to the exit of the Tram Common, to the Clocktower at the top of the hillside. He quickly ran from the marketplace, making his way towards the Sunset Station.

From the rooftop of one the buildings, two cloaked figures turned to each other, watching as the young Keyblade wielder ran off.

Sora made his way up the sloping payment, running past the usual spot, where he had first met Hayner, Pence and Olette - the three friends he had made the first time he visited Twilight Town. Whenever he thought of the three, a part of his heart hurt and he knew, deep down in the depths of his heart, it was Roxas calling out to him, telling Sora he missed them.

From sensing the looming darkness, without a moment to spare, Sora breezed up the alleys of the town, heading up the slope, as the distant Clocktower moved closer by the minute.

He arrived at the courtyard at the entrance of the Sunset Station. This place was one of Sora's favorite views, not just in Twilight Town, but in perhaps all of the worlds he had seen. From the stone ledge at the edge of the courtyard, there was a steep drop off as the station was built on the top of the hillside, but the view was breathtaking. From there, one could see the hundreds of houses and buildings below, the trains circulatinf throughout the many parts of the town and the tall, grass green hills that seemed to surround the entire town.

But the sun - the sun was beautiful. It was one unlike any that he'd seen back on the islands, or Radiant Garden or any world for that matter. This sun seemed to cast a golden glow onto everything that it touched. It cast a beautiful golden orange glow through the clouds and sky above. From that courtyard, the sun seemed to shine directly on him, offering the station and the clocktower a stunning view of the sunset.

It was a view that he would never forget and from inside his heart, it was one that he'd seen many times before.

From deep inside his heart, he heard a voice call out to him.

"Hey Roxas, Bet you don't know why the sun sets red. You see, light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest."

"Like I asked, Know-It-All!" Sora heard Roxas reply back from within his heart. A small smile tugged at his lips when he heard the laughter between Roxas and Axel.

But then the laughter faded.

Sora turned away from the sun and turned to face the station, looking up at the Clocktower. To his surprise, there he saw Roxas and Axel sitting on the ledge of the building, staring off into the sunset with sea-salt ice cream bars in hand, just like they always had done after finishing their daily missions back during the days when they were in the original Organization XIII.

He felt a tug at his heart then - and sitting on the other side of Axel and Roxas, a young girl appeared. Sora tilted his head and looked at her closely, knowing that he had never seen her and yet, she felt so familiar. She had short black hair and a face identical to Kairi's, only unmasked to those when she wasn't hiding within the hood of her Organization robe.

But then, almost as soon as he had seen her, she was gone - like she never existed at all.

Roxas' voice echoed again in Sora's heart. " _Seriously, where is she_?"

He looked up at Roxas and Axel waiting for the 'she' they were expecting to arrive, but they both faded away before she ever did.

Looking up at the Clocktower, Sora would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised when he felt the tear fall down his face. He felt another pang in his heart.

He straightened and wiped the tear from his face, "The memories in Roxas' heart...my heart."

He let out a loud sigh and lowered his head. "Agh, I'm a mess." He ran up to the station and walked inside.

Once inside the large station plaza, he walked up to the ticket window. "One ticket, please." He waited, but no answer. "Um, hello?" Still no answer. "No one's here...but the trains are still running."

He walked up onto the loading platform and walked towards the train that would take him to Master Yen Sid's tower. This train was always distuishable than the other trains that went to the various parts of Twilight Town, as this train was purple and gold in color, had moons and stars on the exterior and had a large pointed sorcerer's hat on top of the engine.

Without another moment to spare, Sora moved to the door of the train and stepped in. He slowly walked through the train, moving towards the front and remembered that this train had no engineer or conductor - it moved all on its' own. Within a moment, he felt the train churn and after looking out the star-shaped windows, saw that the train was leaving the station.

For the next several minutes, Sora sat listening to the quiet churn of the train, watching as the buildings passed by his window. Then, a stream of light passed by the windows and the young man saw the town fade away, replaced by a galaxy of stars and green, wavy auras that filled the sky. The train was suspended on a glowing green track that seemed to soar through the air, creating its' own path.

After his initial adventure, Sora never would have guessed that there were other way to travel in the Lanes Between other than by using a Gummi Ship - especially not by train, even of the magical variety.

Sora was soon taken out of his thoughts when he felt an impulse. He looked around him for a moment before letting it go, assuming that the tremble was from the churn of the moving train. But then he felt the same impulse again, closer this time.

"What?" He got up from his seat then and looked outside and he saw it then - a plume of darkness, like a moving cloud, darting straight towards the train. Not just one, but two.

'Darkness! Is that what brought me here?' The two plumes of darkness shot straight towards the train, hitting it both at the same time. Sora ducked down as the train shifted on its' track. The hbit caused the lights to flicker on and off, before returning back on.

The two clouds of darkness encircled the train and at the same time again, struck the train, this time, shattering all the glass windows and causing the light to surge out.

With the wind surging through the train, Sora knelt down, taking cover from the two dark forces. "I can't lose before this adventure's even began!" He scanned the area before rolling over to the control cabin at the front of the train, he opened the door and took the engineer's seat. With a panel of buttons and levers in front of him, he hoped that his experience of manuevering the Gummi Ship would prove somewhat useful.

From outside the front window, he saw the two clouds encircle one another before flying directly towards the train. Sora grasped one of the levers and pushed it forward, causing the train to accelerate. The train sped down the glowing tracks above the endless galaxy.

Sora thought for a brief moment what would happen if the train was to derail and fall from its' place. Would he spend an eternity falling through this endless galaxy? He didn't want to think any more on the subject and focused on just making it to Yen Sid's tower in once piece.

Up ahead, he saw the shimmering portal that led to the tower. He just had another minute or so to go before he made it through. The train jostled again as it was struck. The darkness encircled the train, darkening Sora's vision of the outside world every few seconds. Another strike. One of the trains wheels had become dislodged, causing a screeching metal noise to pierce through the air, as sparks few beneath the train.

"Come on!" Sora yelled, slamming his fist down on the panel as the train was hit again. He looked up and saw the portal a few feet away, but before he got there, the two dark clouds darted towards the front of the train.

Just as the train passed through the portal, within the dark clouds, he saw the faces of Xehanort's Heartless and Xemnas appear, before being blasted away, repelled by a shield. The two dark clouds flew back and darted off through the sky, returning the way they came.

The train slowly churned to a halt, arriving at the Mysterious Tower, with Sora, although out of breath and recovering from the near heart attack he faced, safe and in one peace.

He departed from the train and raced his way up towards the tower, knowing that Master Yen Sid, the King and all of his friends were waiting for him. He sprinted up the swirling staircases that led his way up to the top of the tower, before arriving to the long staircase that led to Master Yen Sid's study. At the top of the stairs, Donald and Goofy stood.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora shouted up at them, happy to see them.

"Gawrsh, Sora." Goofy started, "We started to worry about ya. We didn't think you'd be gone so long."

He let out a small chuckle. "Sorry! Is everyone here now?"

"Yep, eveyone's waiting inside," Donald said.

Sora opened the door to Yen Sid's study and peered in with a wide smile, "I'm back!"

"Sora!" His friends shouted upon his arrival, happy to see him.

"You're back!" Riku smiled.

"We missed you." Kairi walked up to him and gave him a tight embrace, which he returned back.

"I missed you, too." He replied, with a smile.

"Hey, Sora." Lea stepped up to his friend, remarking on the uncanny resemblance the boy shared with Roxas. Now with a beating heart back in his chest, Lea felt a fondness for his friendship with the Keyblade wielder. His friendship with Roxas had managed to continue on, maybe not in the way he expected, but that's what made it special.

"Hey, Ax-I mean, Lea."

"Heh, don't got it memorized, huh?' He said, "Anyway, welcome back. Meet the newest mascot for the seven guardians of light - a Heartless," Lea finished, before pulling out the glass jar continaining the shadow inside. "If that's not an omen for how this mission will go, I don't know what is."

"Eh, what is-" Sora continued, but stopped when Lea handed him the glass jar, as Sora looked at the shadow, which wiggled its' antenna and smushed his face against the glass when it saw Sora.

Donald continued, "We apparently have too much heart, cuz we can't put one lousy one out of its' misery!"

Sora examined the Heartless closer, spotting it's crooked antenna, "It...looks..."

"Spooky." Donald finished.

"I was going to say 'badly injured'." Sora corrected.

"Spooky also works." Donald concluded.

"We're not keepin' it forever, Donald. We'll release it when it gets all better. Everything'll be okay!" Goofy walked up to Sora then, "Gawrsh, Sora, Donald and I were awfully worried about ya, you know!"

"Hey, what do ya mean, ya big palooka?" Donald turned to his friend, tapping his foot. "I knew Sora was gonna be fine."

Riku approached his best friend. "At least you made it back here in one piece."

"Huh, barely." Sora added.

Riku's eyes grew concerned as he inspected his friend. "Are you hurt?"

"No, no, I'm fine." He turned to the rest of his friends then, "But Master Xehanort is out there. He's not far. I would have been here much sooner if it wasn't for some of his vessels causing trouble."

"Master, you were right." Mickey turned to Yen Sid then, his eyes wide, "Xehanort was coming."

"Yes, in the form of his many vessels." Yen Sid closed his eyes and rose from his desk, "We can only assume he was trying to stop Sora before he arrived here - to use Sora as one of his thirteen vessels."

"He already tried once before." Lea added.

"Right." Riku continued, "Back during the Mark of Mastery exam, Xehanort had tried to make Sora another...'Xehanort', but we stopped him."

"And we'll stop him again if he continues to try." Kairi concluded.

Regardless of how his friends' confidence over protecting him should have lifted his spirits, Sora frowned, "I don't understand. Why is Xehanort doing all of this? And why is he targeting me as a vessel? He could choose anyone."

Master Yen Sid turned from them, "I hypothesize that he tried to use Riku as a vessel, but after Riku's heart has struggled and fought of the darkness, his heart was strong enough to ward off any attempts Xehanort might make, which is why he turned to use Sora."

"So, what does that mean?" Sora stood still, turning his head to glance between Riku and the Master. "That my heart is too weak?"

Donald continued, "Well, Sora, Riku did receive the Mark of Mastery when you didn't."

Riku opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words. If anything, he did not want to open up any bad blood that used to exist within his friendship with Sora. He knew how envious his best friend could become.

Sora felt an ounce of jealousy taint his heart. "Really, Donald?" He hadn't told his friends or anyone how much not receiving the Mark of Mastery actually hurt him, especially after all he'd done as a Keyblade wielder.

"I'm just saying, it's gotta mean something," Donald defended.

"Garwsh, Donald doesn't mean it like that, Sora," Goofy tried to correct his friend, "Just that you could use a little more practice is all."

"Sora, you'll become a Keyblade Master, one of the best." Kairi tried to re-assure him and make him feel better, "I know you will."

Master Yen Sid turned to face the friends - Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goody and Lea.

"We are all here today to discuss the details of what is sure to await you on your travels. With Xehanort's return in whatever form he has chosen to join his army of thirteen darknesses, this adventure will be the most difficult you've faced yet - with the balance of light and darkness on the verge of corruption. Are you all up for the task?"

Yen Sid looked around the room, content when each of the heroes had nodded.

"Very good. Next, we will discuss the perils that are sure to await you on your quests."

The team paid close attention to the important briefing their Master gave about their next adventure.

"Master Xehanort is planning on gathering his thirteen darknesses - his many different vessels with a fraction of his heart placed in each - as a means of pitting them against seven protectors of the light - Keyblade masters with the duty of guarding the light of the worlds. With Xehanort's army of thirteen darknesses, the clash between the dark and the light is certain to happen now, and when it does happen, the X-Blade will be forged - another means of Xehanort obtaining power. We must stop him at all costs."

Sora nodded, "We will."

The elderly wizard continued, "But the X-Blade is only but one of Xehanort's conquests. With the clash between light and dark commencing, Xehanort wishes to bring about the Keyblade War anew and to see how the World of Kingdom Hearts was created, so that he could claim it as his own. With the power of Kingdom Hearts within his grasps, he would become all-knowing and have the capability of creating a universe that was of his liking - where light and darkness could exist within equal balance and the scale tipped in his favor."

"They Keyblade War..." Kairi thought out loud, "I remember my grandmother's story about it, about how the darkness was born in peoples' hearts becauseof the fighting and the senseless violence."

"But..." Sora began, raising a finger to his chin, "...why would Xehanort want to bring about another Keyblade War?"

Yen Sid continued, "As the legend says, the World of Kingdom Hearts was revealed during the first war. Aside from this, his lust and obsession over power and knowledge has darkened his heart - trickling down through every incarnation of himself throughout space and time. His thirst for knowledge about the war has turned into a dark obsession - one he wants to witness first-hand."

Sora's eyebrows furrowed, "So, Master Xehanort wants to enact a new war just...because?"

"I'd say there are still many hidden truths about the war that Xehanort wants to know the answers behind," Mickey hypothesized.

"Precisely," Yen Sid confirmed.'

"The legends of the war...so much bloodshed, so many lives lost." Riku said, lowering his head. "All for what?"

"You've fought against the different forms of this man before, but to prepare you for the mission ahead, you must know the true nature of the man who threatens our very lives." Yen Sid closed his eyes and thought about the man he was shared a close, almost familial bond with. "Years ago, Xehanort, Eraqus and I were trained under the same Master, a noble man that had brought light to many worlds..."

"...but that light was too bright for Xehanort, and his curiosity over the darkness began to consume him, creating the man you see today. He's cunning, deceptive...and has an extreme disregard for life - both human and of the worlds. He destroyed worlds, killed his fellow master that was more like a brother to him...he wants to re-create a war just to quell his curiosity, putting innocent lives on the line."

"This is the man you're up against. The Original - the one who's evil and darkness trickled down into all of his different forms across time and space."

"We'll stop him!" Donald cheered.

Goofy smiled, "Yeah, but uh...where do we even start?"

Yen Sid continued, "To obtain Kingdom Hearts, Xehanort will need the powers of the Seven Princesses of Heart to reveal it. It is important that Xehanort does not achieve even this. We must scour the realm of light and find the six remaining princesses and keep them safe by taking them to the safe haven Merlin the Wizard has hidden away deep within Radiant Garden - the Secret Sanctum."

"We'll keep them safe!" Donald said, triumphantly.

"And I'll make sure nothing happens to you." Sora smiled to Kairi, "I...won't take my eyes off you for a second." He blushed, scratching the back of his head.

"I'd lose my heart if you did," she replied back to him with a wink.

"Once all seven princesses are gathered, their power will not only reveal Kingdom Hearts, but the Key to Return Hearts."

"The Key to Return Hearts," Sora replied, understandingly.

"With its' power, it will restore the hearts, end the pain, to all those suffering - that is why we must protect the Princesses at all cost. It is vital to mend the suffering of those in need."

"To think we had such power within the seven of us," Kairi said, lifting her hand to her heart.

"And the seven guardians of light?" Goofy asked.

"Hmm, yes." Yen Sid traced his hand through his beard, "We already have three of the seven - Mickey, Riku, Sora."

"And what of the others?"

"Another is in this very room - Kairi...or Lea?" Yen Sid confirmed.

Kairi and Lea looked between themselves and then back at the Master.

"Who is to say who will take on the role?" The master said, "Only time will tell."

Yen Sid turned from them then, "As for the other three - Terra, Ventus and Aqua. All three equally as skilled as the next, all three missing."

"Terra, Ventus and Aqua." Sora spoke out loud, "Missing?"

The others' attention was piqued when the names of the three lost Keyblade wielders were spoken. Little did they know, most of them had encountered one of these wielders once before - though they would not know it at the time.

The King chimed in, "Some time ago, Ventus and Aqua were here...right in this very room."

"Really?" Sora asked.

Yen Sid nodded, "Indeed. The young boy's heart was lost to him and he fell into a deep sleep, never to awaken until his heart was mended and returned to him."

Sora then felt a small pulse in his chest then, which caused his hand to relfex and clutch his heart, feeling as though it was about to burst from his chest.

Kairi turned to him, concerned. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah. I don't know what that was,...sorry." He turned his attention back to the Master. "And what became of Ventus?"

"I can not say," the Master said, shaking his head. "Aqua took the sleeping boy from here never to be seen again. She must know the wherabouts of her friend."

"Then, where is she?" Sora asked.

Mickey looked at his Master, unsure of what to say. He took a breath before speaking, "She's in the realm of darkness...she's been there for years."

"Years!?" Sora questioned, eyes wide. "Why hasn't anyone gone to save her? She...she could have helped...stop all of this!"

Mickey took another deep breath, "There was no way to get to her safely, Sora."

Yen Sid bowed, "Mickey is correct. The Realm of Darkness is a dangerous and volatile place. Just finding passage into the realm could deeply affect one's heart with darkness."

The King continued, "I met Aqua some time ago, right before we sealed the door to Kingdom Hearts, Sora and Riku. We journeyed together for a short time until we found my Keyblade," he summoned the Kingdom Key D to his grasps, "but she was carried away by darkness...and she's been trapped there ever since."

Sora thought for a long moment, "Is there any way...for her to reach out from the realm of darkness?" He questioned.

"I could not say." Yen Sid replied, "Why do you ask?"

Sora stretched his hand out and within moments, the new Keyblade he had found on the beach materialized in his hands.

"A new Keyblade?" Kairi examined it.

"It washed up on the beaches of my island," Sora explained.

Master Yen Sid's eyes went wide. "I haven't seen that blade in years. That was the blade of Eraqus, the Master who had taken in and trained Terra, Ventus and Aqua."

"So...it can't just be a coincidence." Sora confirmed, "She must have sent this from the realm of darkness...a clue...or sign."

"Indeed." Yen Sid replied.

"And the third?" Riku looked at the wizard, "Terra?"

The wizard simply sighed and closed his eyes. "I can not say. But, uncovering the truth by saving Aqua is sure to enlighten how Terra and Ventus might be found."

"No worries." Sora spoke confidently, "We'll save them - we'll save everyone."

"A worthy answer." The wizard nodded, "We have two simulataneous tasks at hand. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Lea - you are to explore the realm of light in search of the Princesses of Heart and repel any of Xehanort's darknesses away."

The group nodded.

"Riku and Mickey, you are to once again don the robes of the Organization members to repel the darkness away, as you dive into the realm of darkness to save Aqua."

"These are your tasks at hand - save the Princesses from Xehanort's grasps, save the three lost Keyblade Wielders, stop Xehanort and his forces from re-enacting the Keyblade War and claiming Kingdom Hearts as his own - and free all those who have been suffering."

"Yes, Master Yen Sid!"

Sora looked at the group then, "I...know it might not be an easy task, but...I know with all of us...and Terra, Ventus and Aqua...we can overcome anything! Our friends are our power."

Yen Sid then smiled and suggested, "It would be best to prepare yourself for the mission ahead of you."

The group proceeded out of the Sorcerer's chamber.

Their next adventure was about to commence.

* * *

The sound of footprints echoed down the long hall which led to the circular throne room of the newly formed Organization XIII. The two cloaked men returned to the room and stared up to their leader - the Original. Master Xehanort.

"Well, look who returned empty-handed." Braig let out a laugh, watching as Xehanort's Heartless and Xemnas sulked into the room, knowingly awaiting some form of punishment by their leader, "Maybe if the old coot sent me, I actually would have managed to bring the Keyblade wielder back."

"We're sorry, Master." Xemnas bowed his head.

Xehanort's Heartless continued, "We won't fail you again."

Isa turned to his Master, "How should I facilitate their punishment?"

Xehanort's Heartless and Xemnas straightened at the idea of punishment for their failure.

Master Xehanort paused for a moment before he spoke out, his dark voice rasp and hoarse, "No punishment. They fulfilled their duty."

The two breathe dout, relieved that their Master would not take out his anger on them. Even as a unified army against the light, Master Xehanort ruled with violence and terror. Not even his own followers were safe.

"They followed through with what I needed - to let the heroes of light know we're ready for battle and we're coming for them." A wicked grin grew across Master Xehanort's face, "Now that the young boy believes he's being targeted, it'll be much easier to get to his friend..."

"The princess?"

"Perhaps." The Master smiled, "But in time, we will have all the princesses, the X-Blade and Kingdom Hearts...and the Keyblade War will begin anew."

Braig sighed and crossed his arms, "You know, for a guy that's had to resort to making an army of himself to make sure he gets what he wants, you seem a tad bit too confident after the past failures, you know."

"Including yours." Master Xehanort turned to the man.

"Hah, as if!"

"We have every reason to be confident." Master Xehanort turned from the man, looking down at each of the newly formed Organization army he had formed. "We have more than just the darkness on our side...we have prophecy."

From within his grasps, one of the lost journals appeared - the final excerpt from the Book of Prophecies.

The one-eyed man's eye widened, "And where did you find that? That book as well as the five others have been lost through the centuries."

The evil Master let out a low, wicked laugh, "Soon, you will all learn...the darkness is more than just an ally. It is a part of every one of us."

"The Darkness always prevails."

Master Xehanort opened up the legendary journal and read the final page that foretold the future.

" _On that land shall darkness prevail and light expire._ "


	2. Night in the Dark Dream

Thank you to everyone who's read Chapter 1 and who's subscribed to the story! I hope you are enjoying it! Please read, review and have a great day!

 **Chapter Two - Night in the Dark Dream**

In the tower chamber just outside of Master Yen Sid's quarters, the group of heroes found themselves preparing for the quest and adventures ahead of them. They filled their armor and pouches with what little they could bring with them.

"Let's see...Potions, Ethers...," Donald said, as he searched through the bag of items they had packed, "...Tents when we gotta rest for a little, some armor. We need anything else?"

Goofy walked up to his friend and inspected the equipment bag, "Gawrsh Donald, don't fill it up all the way. We need to same some space for any treasures or items we find on our adventure."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." The duck said, as he begin removing some of the items from the bag.

On the other side of the room, Sora fastened the straps of his gloves as he stared out of the tower window towards the distant rolling hills in the far off reaches of this small world. He frowned, yet his eyes showed determination in them for the quests and trials ahead of him and his friends. Knowing that time was of the essence and that Xehanort was already aware of the Keyblade wielder's whereabouts after the skirmish aboard the mysticak train, Sora wasted no time, packed his things and prepared for departure.

Kairi had been standing just a few feet away from Sora packing her own bag of things. She glanced over to Sora from the corner of her eye. Even without the silence between them as they packed their things, she didn't need any hints to know that he was deep in thought and something had been bothering him.

After she had packed away what she needed to, she rose from her crouched position and made her way over to Sora. "Hey. Are you...okay?"

He took a deep breath and sighed, "I...I don't know."

"What's wrong," she asked softly, trying to get him to open up without pushing too much.

"Heh, where do I start?" He said in return with a small smile."You know, growing up on the islands and dreaming of exploring worlds and going off on adventures with you and Riku, dreaming of it and living it are...two very different things."

"It sounds like you could use a day off once in a while," she said, tilting her head to the side a tight smile on her lips, but concern in her eyes.

Sora laughed then, "I don't have the leisure of getting days off - comes with the territory of being a Keyblade wielder. You'll realize that soon enough now that you're one, too." He shook his head and leaned up against the wall, "No, that's not it. It's just - back then, even when I first chosen by the Keyblade, our adventures were so...simple. Sure, there was the darkness and fighting Heartless...but I was just doing my role as a Keyblade wielder. Everything's...changed and yet, nothing's different."

Kairi leaned in closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"And...now, we're going off to war." He shrugged and sighed, "My parents don't even know the stakes. All of us...we put our lives on the line every day, and I don't even wanna think about it, but none of us are guaranteed to come out of it alive - especially with the force we're up against."

She gently squeezed his shoulder then, "Sora, come on, you can't think like that - especially not at the start of our adventure." She tried to reassure him, but could tell he wasn't budging from his perspective. "We'll be okay."

"You don't know that."

"You're right, I don't know - but what I do know, is that regardless of whatever darkness we've ever faced, you've found a way to beat it." She smiled at him and placed her in hand in his. "I believe in you."

He couldn't help but smile then, feeling his heart warm, "Thanks, Kairi. You always know the right thing to say." He felt the redness in his cheeks then when she smiled at him and stepped closer to him. "And hey - don't even worry about Xehanort gathering the Princesses of Heart. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know you won't. And I won't let him get to you, either." She looked up into his eyes, "And even if he does try to take me away, I know you'll come back for me - just like you promised."

Sora gave her a nod and a dashing smile.

She brought his arms around him then and embraced him, hugging him tightly to her chest. Sora felt the warm glow in his heart again and returned her embrace.

Looking over her shoulder, he saw Donald and Goofy with wide grins on their faces and giving him a thumbs up.

A moment later Riku and Lea arrived from Yen Sid's main quarters.

"Finished packing?" Riku said, addressing the four in the room. "Master Yen Sid had me tell you that the five of you are to meet with Merlin in Radiant Garden and that he'd tell you more about the secret sanctum."

Lea sighed and rolled his eyes, "'Secret Sanctum', really? Did that old wizard really have to give the place such an elusive name? He couldn't have called it like...the 'Room of Smiles' or the 'Eternal Happiness Chamber'?"

"Well, when you find that chamber, let us all know cuz we all need it," Donald replied back.

"Yeah, we're all ready." Sora turned to his friend, a bit of concern in his voice. "And you and the King will be headed off to the Realm of Darkness?"

"Don't be worried, Sora. We've been there before." Riku smiled and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Mickey says he knows the way - I trust him."

Kairi turned to them, "And Aqua's waiting to be rescued. I think it's been long enough."

Riku smiled at her, "We'll find her and bring her back here safely...and hopefully she can shed some light on how to find Ventus and Terra...wherever they might be."

"Wait." Sora said to his friend. He raised his hand up, focusing his heart on summoning the additional Keyblade he found on the beach of his home the day before and within a moment, the light faded from his hand and the Keyblade had materialized. "Take this with you."

Riku took the Keyblade from Sora and studied it. It had been unlike any Keyblade he'd ever seen. A bit worn down from years of battle, but still strong and agile. He looked up at his friend, curious. "Why?"

"If Aqua was the one that sent it from the realm of darkness, maybe it'll help you find her again when it returns," Sora hypothesized.

"Not a bad idea." Riku said, lookingat the Keyblade for another moment before having it fade away from his grasp. "Before you leave, Master Yen Sid says he was one last thing for you, Sora. You should go and see him."

"Got it! Let's go."

Sora walked into Yen Sid's loft, followed by his friends. There, the Master and King Mickey awaited for them.

"Riku told me that there was something you wanted to tell me?" Sora asked.

Yen Sid bowed his head and stood up from his desk, moving around his desk and walking up to the boy. "Xehanort's forces are strong and are growing stronger with every passing moment. Now that Xehanort has tracked you here, he and his vessels could be waiting for you in the many worlds, but by throwing him off the trail, you could buy ourselves some time."

"What do you suggest?" Sora asked.

From within his robes, Yen Sid revealed a long wooden wand. After closing his eyes in concentration for a brief moment, Yen Sid circled the wand through the air and a spark appeared from within. The spark shot around the room like a shooting star before landing right over Sora's heart. The spark then grew into a series of shimmering gold rays and completely covered Sora's figure.

When the rays disintegrated into the remnants of shimmering magical particles, Sora's uniform had been modified. Although somewhat similar to what he had been wearing, his vest and shirt were transfigured into a red and black material. The black leather material of his vest had also matched the same black as his pants.

"Whoa!" Donald and Goofy said, while looking at their friend's new uniform.

"Right, some great use of our time - a wardrobe change," Lea said.

Sora examined his new appearance and turned to Yen Sid, "I don't understand though, how will this help protect me from Xehanort."

Yen Sid continued, "Those new clothes are cut from the same cloth as the Organization's robes." He turned from the group then, "As my apprentice and Riku are familiar, while donning those robes in the realm of darkness, the darkness itself was kept at bay and repelled away. The same could be said when they had tried to deceive the Organization by wearing their same robes...but instead of your clothes protecting you from the darkness, they are protecting you from the close watch of Xehanort - throwing him off the trail and leading him astray."

"Wow! Thanks, Master Yen Sid!" Sora smiled.

"Now, fellas," Mickey called to his friends then, "Remember to go meet Merlin at Radiant Garden, he's waiting for ya. Give him my regards."

"We will, your Majesty." Goofy reassured him, before turning to one of the many shelves in Yen Sid's study, seeing the glass jar containing the shadow. "Welp, I guess we'll just have to take good ol' Spooky with us then, won't we? At least to take him off of Master Yen Sid's hands."

"Please do." Yen Sid sighed, "I will not be as accomodating next time..."

"Don't worry, Yen Sid." Donald said, grabbing the glass jar from Goofy and staring down the shadow. "We'll kick this guy to the curb when we get to Radiant Garden. You won't see the likes of him again."

"So, we ready to head out?" Lea asked.

"Yeah, all set." Sora finished.

"When we find Aqua, we'll bring her back here." Riku said to them, "We'll have Master Yen Sid inform you when we return."

"Good." Kairi said, smiling at them. "Don't go getting yourselves hurt, you two!"

"Don't worry, we'll find Merlin and protect the princesses." Sora smiled at them, before turning away. "We're not going to let Xehanort win."

He turned and started to make his way towards the door, before Master Yen Sid called out to him again.

"Sora, one last thing."

At this, the brown-haired boy turned around to face the sorcerer, wondering what else the sorcerer had to say.

"I can feel deep down in your heart the desire to become a true Keyblade Master - given the endeavors of this upcoming quest, the opportunity to take the Mark of Mastery exam again may present itself to you."

Sora's eyes widened at the idea of taking another Mark of Mastery exam.

"Should you be given the opportunity, I am certain that you will be deemed a Keyblade Master - just as Riku was before you."

Sora felt a pang of jealousy hit his heart then, but smiled through it.

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid." Without another word, Sora and the others left Yen Sid's chamber and began the trek down the circling staircases that led to the entrance of the tower.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Lea had made it to the base of the tower and exited out of the large wooden doors that led to the outside world. Waiting for them outside the tower was none other than the Gummi-Ship.

"Oh boy, the Gummi-Ship!" Donald said, running up to the ship with the jar containing the shadow. He pressed a few of the control buttons on the side of the ship and within moments, a safety latch opened at the back of the ship, which allowed entry onboard. Donald, with shadow in hand, ran into the ship, followed by Goofy and the two immediately began to input the controls to fire up the ship.

"Ah, returning to home sweet home." Lea said, entering the ship.

"...hmph, home." Kairi said, remembering that Radiant Garden had been the world that she originally came from, yet she had no memory or recollection of her time there. It was the first time she had returned to her origin world ever since her heart left her body to join Sora's and her captivity under Maleficent's orders.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked, "It's your first time going back there since everything happened, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Kairi confirmed. "Just after everything that happened the last time there - Maleficent using the other princesses and I, Riku being controlled by that awful being, you getting turned into a Heartless, whenever I think of where I came from, I get this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach just remembering everything that happened there."

"Right." Sora frowned, remembering, "You don't have any memories from growing up in Radiant Garden - before you came to the islands."

"Not one." Kairi shrugged, "It's okay, I guess. The islands will always be my home. I just...don't undertand though. Why don't I remember? Sure, I was young, but I wasn't 'that' young. I would at least remember my...house...or friends, something from my childhood - but there's nothing."

Deep in her heart, she knew that returning home would awaken some feeling - some memory - that she had locked away deep within her heart and honestly, she wasn't sure if she was ready for it.

Sora took her hand and tilted his head, "Are you sure you want to go?"

Kairi smiled at him and shook her head, "I told you - I'm not leaving your side, even if it means having to go back to that place again."

Sora smiled at her, "Well, then, let's go! I can't wait to show you how to 'really' drive one of these things!"

The two of them laughed as Sora took Kairi by the hand and led her up into the Gummi-Ship.

From the star-shaped tower window, Riku, Mickey and Yen Sid watched at the Gummi-Ship blasted off into the sky, turning into just a tiny dot before disappearing once the ship broke through the world's barriers and passing into the Lanes Between.

Mickey looked up from the window and turned to Riku then, "They seemed happy."

Riku smiled to himself, "Yeah, they are. I'm happy for them." He laughed then, "Hopefully Sora won't have to resort to getting himself turned into a Heartless again for Kairi to hug him."

The two turned around to Master Yen Sid who approached them, "Remember, the realm of darkness is a dangerous place. The darkness can easily take root in a person's heart. Be sure to wear the robes the three good fairies and I have designed for you. They will repel the darkness away and protect your heart."

"Thanks, Master Yen Sid." Mickey replied. "Once we leave the tower, we'll search for an entrance into the realm of darkness and bring Aqua back here as soon as we find her."

Yen Sid closed his eyes, "Do take care - with Master Xehanort now returned, who knows what extraordinary dangers now await in the realm of darkness. I will eagerly await your return."

"We've braved the darkness before and we'll be fine, We'll be back soon." Riku smiled, confidently and threw the bag he had packed for the trip over his shoulder. "Come on, Mickey! We have a Keyblade Master to find." The white-haired boy left the room then, throwing the Organization robe over himself.

Yen Sid nodded and dismissed his apprentice from his study, leaving the wizard alone with just his thoughts now. A deep feeling of grief and foreboding dismay overwhelmed him then, as he stood in the silence of the tower.

With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"Xehanort...I hoped you'd changed..."

A star faded from the sky then.

* * *

Mickey and Riku, now both donning the Organization robes yet again, exited from the tower and made their way down the steps to the grassy landing before them.

"So, how do we start searching for a way into the realm of darkness?" Riku asked turning to the King, as they walked side by side. "Back when the darkness still held power over my heart, it was so easy to use a corridor of darkness...but with Xehanort and his army using those same corridors for their own purposes, it'd probably be best to steer clear."

"Ah, don't worry, Riku! We've got this." Mickey replied cheerfully, before pulling a star-shaped crystal from his robe pocket. "This'll help us get there."

"A star shard?" Riku asked curiously.

"Mhm, yup!" Mickey examined the shard closer, "Now, this might not be able to take us directly to the realm of darkness, but it should be able to take us to a world located inbetween the balance of light and darkness, so once we get there, we'll just have to find a way in."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Riku smiled and nodded.

"Okay, hold on tight." Mickey turned to his friend and offered his hand.

Riku reached down and tightly grasped the king's hand.

Mickey concentrated his energy into the star shard and after a moment, the blue star-shaped crystal illuminated and sparkled, before shooting off into the sky, like a shooting star. Mickey and Riku were seemingly absorbed into the magical energy of the star and bounced along the sky, their yells echoing as they ascended through the air - to destinations unknown.

* * *

As the Gummi-Ship drifted through the Lanes Between, Sora, Donald and Goofy sat at the control deck, a series of buttons and levers in front of them. Each button and switch operated a different aspect of the ship - laser fire, aerodynamic capability, energy utilization, protective shield barriers, the emergency self-destruct which Chip and Dale had installed for reasons Donald or Goofy couldn't say. Goofy chalked it up to being installed back in the day when Donald and Chip and Dale weren't the best of friends and the self -destruct was a means of, ehm, cooking the duck.

Thankfully, the button had never been pressed.

From behind the three, Kairi and Lea stood at the back of the control center and watched as the three expertly worked together to operate the ship. With Sora as the current pilot and in total control of manuevering the ship, Goofy expertly communicated travel coordinates, while Donald kept an eye on the enemy Heartless ships, letting his 'slight' temper get the best of him when it came to operating the cannon fire when any enemies got too close for comfort.

Kairi and Lea were impressed to say the least at the level of expertise and precision the three friends had cultivated over time. If ever a problem arose with manuevering the ship between worlds, one instantly communicated a resolution and the other two followed through with the proper steps to execute the right decision to alleviate any problems.

After traveling together for so long and having been on many adventures both in and out of the Gummi-Ship, Sora, Donald and Goofy had learned to work as a team.

Donald placed Spooky's jar on the floor of the Gummi-Ship and wagged his finger at the shadow. "Now you stay right there and don't try any funny business! You got it, mister?!"

The shadow pressed his face against the glass and mocked the duck, wagging his finger in the same way Donald had been.

"Stop it!" Donald got more agitated when the shadow again pressed his face against the jar and the duck swore he saw the shadow almost giggle, as if making fun of the duck was the funniest thing ever. Antagonized enough by the shadow, Donald took the glass jar and put it behind his chair - out of sight, out of mind.

Over the Gummi Ship intercom, two high-pitched voices rang through the control deck.

"Welcome aboard the new and improved Gummi-Ship! We are your launch crew, navigators and engineers reporting for duty! Chip..."

"...and Dale!"

"Let us know if you need any help! We'll help navigate the ship to Radiant Garden from our control center here at Disney Castle. Happy flying!"

Donald mumbled something under his breath about 'crazy chipmunks' before he turned his attention to the flight path they were taking. From the large domed-shape glass window above the cockpit, one could see out into the immense universe before them, as stars, worlds and galaxies all flied past at an astonishing rate. It was a breath-taking sight to behold.

Kairi walked up behind Sora, "Wow, Sora, you're an expert at this!" She watched him, impressed.

"Heh, it took a lot of practice." He shot a glance over his shoulder at her, "I remember one of the first times I was navigating this thing, I ended up crashing our ship into a jungle and accidentally emergency ejected us out of the ship and I crash landed in a treehouse. I wasn't always so good. It took lots of practice." Sora said with a small laugh.

"I guess no one can master everything right off the bat." Lea said, looking down towards his hands, "It's the same with me and Kairi and the Keyblade."

"Oh, how's training going?" Sora asked back to them, "I heard Riku was training you hard."

"Oh, it's definitely...going." Lea scratched the back of his head, "And being trained 'hard' is definitely an understatement."

"I think my body's still aching from the training earlier," Kairi teased.

"Well, just keep at it." Sora insisted with a smile, "Soon, you'll probably have your own Mark of Mastery exam yourselves."

"Heh, for all we know, you could end up being the Master that oversees our exam," Lea teased.

"Oh, I don't know about that." He continued keeping his eyes forward as he continued to talk to them, "I keep thinking about what Master Yen Sid said, about getting another chance to prove I could be a Keyblade Master - but I feel like I've already proved myself!"

The rest of the group stayed quiet as they listened to Sora talk.

"I've been a wielder for awhile...and even after everything I've done using the Keyblade, I could be okay with not becoming a Master right away...but for Riku to get it after not having the Keyblade for too long..."

"Aww, Sora, don't be jealous." Donald leaned over to him.

"I'm not!" Sora defended.

Collectively, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Lea all gave Sora a look that let him know that they were not to be fooled.

"I'm not." He tried defending again.

"Sora..." Donald continued on, trying to console his friend. "It's okay."

Sora paused for a long moment. He honestly wasn't one to hide his feelings, especially in front of Donald and Goofy, who had gotten to know the boy so well that they could figure out what he was feeling before he ever had to say them out loud.

Sora lowered his eyes, his lips thinning, "Okay, yeah...I'm jealous. So what?" He almost felt guilty admitting it out loud, like he was somehow betraying his friendship with Riku because he had something that he didn't. It felt childish to him - and that feeling brought back a lot of the feelings he had felt about his childhood feud with his friend.

"I just don't understand why he would pass and I wouldn't. I mean, I know he saved me in the realm of sleep and, of course, I think he deserves it...but...but...I think I deserve it, too! I know, I know...it sounds selfish, but I've fought my way to fighting both Xehanort's Heartless and his Nobody with the Keyblade...and I've saved the worlds multiple times, so I don't understand. I think I've proved myself deserving of the title enough now."

Donald and Goofy looked at each other. They hated to admit it to one another, but they thought that their friend was being a bit selfish in the situation.

Kairi walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Sora, maybe it's not so much about proving yourself by being _deserving_ of it, but by proving yourself by being _worthy_ of it."

Sora sighed, knowing that she was right. Then, the feeling of embarrassment welled over him after realizing everything he just said out loud and how his friends must have noticed how childish he was acting. It felt like a kick to the stomach and although his jealousy did not go away, it felt good to get some of that truth out. These feelings had been building up inside of him ever since he failed his exam and now that they were finally able to escape, he thought, maybe it wouldn't weigh him down so much. Maybe.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Riku." Sora tried correcting himself then, "I just don't understand what he did that I didn't do."

"Yen Sid clearly thinks you're deserving of the title, though. So, I'd trust him." Lea reassured Sora with a smile. His smile slightly faltered then, "Just whatever you do, don't let the jealousy take hold of your friendship too much - it ruins it and it can never be replaced. I know from experience."

"You've had the same thing happen to you, huh?' Sora asked.

"Yeah." Lea's eyes dropped to the floor, a small frown appearing on his face, "Isa and I..."

"Isa?" Goofy questioned.

"You probably know him as his Organization name, Saix - another one of Xehanort's lackeys." Lea sighed, "Shows how apart we've grown from each other - now on two opposite sides. It's not the way I expected things to happen way back when."

"But you said your friendship was hurt because of jealousy?" Sora asked, "You guys were both in the Organization, what could possible make him jealous?"

Lea smiled and paused for a moment, "You."

Sora turned to his head to look at Lea, a look of surprise on his face. "Me?"

"Well, the other you." The red-headed man corrected himself.

Sora felt his heart pulse with life then. It was him.

"Roxas," Lea said with a smile. "He was my...best friend."

"Hey, what do you mean WAS your, best friend?!" Sora said, but even as he was saying it, he almost stopped because it wasn't him that spoke. Sure, it was his voice, but it came from a hidden place within his heart - from the place that Roxas occupied.

Lea's smile grew then, "I guess we're seeing each other again, aren't we - just not how we expected to."

"Yeah." Sora smiled back at him. From deep within his heart, he understood Lea then - or at least he understood what Roxas had felt. "You...you and Isa were best friends, weren't you?"

Lea leaned against the wall, a small smile on his face as he recalled his younger days, when everything was just...how it was supposed to be - before the bitterness, before the jealousy, before the darkness.

"He was my best friend." He crossed his arms, deep in thought, "We lived on the streets of Radiant Garden together. We were...inseperable. We...we used to always try to break into the castle - to get an awesome view of the town and the stars at night. We'd always meet up with a sea-salt ice cream bar and every time it was finished we'd always check to see if the stick had the word 'WINNER'." He laughed, "We never even knew what that stupid stick meant, but still, we did it every day for months. We told one another to keep the sticks so that we could look back on them and remember all the adventures we used to go on."

"What happened?" Sora asked.

Lea shrugged and gave a tight smile, but it wasn't one made from happiness. "I...guess life happened. We grew apart and...he became about his work, things got in the way of our friendship. We became strangers to one another. My best friend..." His smile was gone then. "Then, when we were in the Organization, it's like we never even knew each other."

"That sounds so...sad," replied Sora, his voice low, feeling an emptiness in his heart at the idea of something like that happening between him and Riku. "I wonder what changed him?"

Lea's eyes shut then, his brows furrowing as he thought back. "He blames me for ruining his life."

"That's silly." Sora looked back at his friend then. "You wouldn't have done that."

There was a long pause, Lea's thoughts soaring deep through his memories. He finally opened his mouth to speak then. "I did."

The friends in the control room fell silent then when Lea left the room and went below deck to the small cabin room, where a few cots were found. He sat down on one of the cots for the next few minutes, remaining deep in thought over his lost friendship with Isa.

A few more minutes had passed before Chip and Dale came over the intercom again, "Hey fellas, look! We're almost there!"

Sure enough, from the large glass windows, the view of the Radiant Garden castle came before them, standing tall and dominant.

"Alright, prepare for landing." Sora said.

* * *

 **Traverse Town**

The districts of Traverse Town were quiet that evening, with a few wandering citizens passing through. The district shops and boutiques had grown quiet over the past few days and the town grew still.

There was one thing that all of the residents of Traverse Town had in common - they all had arrived at the town by means of losing their world to the darkness. When their worlds were taken, fragmented apart and sent to the realm of darkness, the citizens of those worlds always found themselves awaking within the quiet town. The very same event happened to Sora and Riku when the Destiny Islands had been destroyed and taken by the darkness two years prior.

When Xehanort's Heartless had been defeated, all the worlds taken by the darkness were restored and the people from those worlds were to return to their respectful homes and Traverse Town grew quiet. Ever since Xehanort's return, however, the world began to fill with newcomers again - and the darkness was once again destroying worlds and sending them to the realm of darkness.

The silent air that carried through the town was broken by the sound of two different cries, as from the heavens above, a blue 'star' bounced across the corners of the sky, before descending down into the courtyard of the town's First District, where Mickey and the King landed with a loud thud.

Riku sat up and held his forehead, feeling the world spinning around him, his brain aching. "Ow, I think I'm gonna be feeling that for the next week."

Mickey got up and examined the star shard, "Hmm, I just never know how to control this thing - even after all this years." He looked up at his friend. "At least we arrived at a world in-between though!"

"Traverse Town." Riku said glancing around the familiar town. Although he had just had many adventures in the Traverse Town in the realm of sleep, it had been quite some time since he had been to the 'real' Traverse Town. From the looks of things, he was glad to see that the town hadn't changed too much, if at all. The only noticeable difference - the new townspeople he didn't recognize from his previous visits there.

He could only assume one thing - worlds were still falling to the darkness and people found themselves there again.

"This was the first world Sora and I found ourselves in after the islands were taken." Riku spoke out loud, looking up to the nighttime starry sky, as he recalled the night the islands were destroyed and he began his trek down the path towards darkness.

Riku turned to the King, "What made you choose this place?"

"Hmm, I didn't." Mickey thought out loud, "I only thought of traveling to a world in-between the light and darkness and the star shard reacted to that...and brought us here. It could have brought us to any of the worlds in-between."

"Any of them?" Riku questioned.

"Mhm, there's Traverse Town, Destiny Islands, Radiant Garden, Twilight Town and Castle Oblivion. Each one of them is found between the realm of both light and darkness, so somewhere in this town, there has to be a way into the dark realm."

"Let's start looking." Riku said, leading the King up the stone steps that led to the upper ledges of the First District. "The sooner we save Aqua and get back to Yen Sid, the better."

Riku opened the big wooden doors that led the way to the Second District and was followed inside by the King. The air in the Second District grew cold and Riku and Mickey looked about the area, sensing the presence of something else out there.

"Hmm?" Mickey said looking around. "You feel that?"

"Yeah." Riku said, sensing the foreboding feeling of an approaching presence. The two looked aorund for a moment longer, before a swarm of Heartless shadows and dark soldiers appeared around the pair.

"Heartless?!" Riku and Mickey were instantly sprung into the battle, as their Keyblades materialized in their hands. In an instant, the two darted through the shadow and soldier fleet, slicing and slashing through the enemies, releasing a heart from each of the emblen soldier Heartless after they were destroyed and defeated. The two fended off the rest of the Heartless until not a trace of them remained.

After the battle, the two took a moment to breathe, before walking to the upper stone ledge of the Second District. The King looked around and spoke out then. "Hmm, with the Heartless around, the passage into the realm of darkness has to be somewhere nearby. Let's start looking."

Riku led Mickey around the upper ledge of the district, walking past a few clothing shops and stores. The boy turned back to the King then, "So, how did you manage to get into the realm of darkness when we met?"

Mickey turned to his friend, as the two of them descended down the stone stairs that led to the lower courtyard. "Hmm, it was actually in this very town. After I made sure that Sora had met up with Donald and Goofy here, I took a corridor of darkness to get into the realm."

Riku turned to the King then, "Right, you were in the realm of darkness for mostly all of Sora's first adventure with Donald and Goofy, right?"

"Yup, I went through the realm of darkness to find the alternate Kingdom Key - the Kingdom Key D, a keyblade of the realm of darkness and is the opposite of Sora' key from the realm of light. The door to Kingdom Hearts needed to be closed from both sides with a key from both light and dark. That's why I went there - so Sora and I could close the door together."

Riku thought to himself, "Hmm, maybe...the key will be able to open a portal to the realm of darkness then."

Mickey smiled at the idea, "Good idea, Riku. I've never tried that before." Within a moment, Mickey had summoned the Kingdom Key D to his grasps. The Keyblade was a perfect opposite to Sora's, in terms of appearance and color. The Key had a long golden blade with a silver handle and a keychain with the King's seal on it.

Mickey concentrated on summoning his energy into the blade and opening up a portal into the realm. After a moment, the portal never appeared.

"Come on, Mickey. You can do it." Riku encouraged his friend. "Think about why we're doing this - think about saving Aqua."

"Aqua." Mickey said, gripping the handle of his Keyblade tighter. He thought about Aqua being trapped in the realm of darkness all this time and all the pain and suffering she must have gone through, not just by being separated from the outside realm of light, but also being separated from Terra and Ventus for much longer than she had initially anticipated.

From the sorrow and sadness Mickey knew Aqua must have been feeling, his Keyblade reacted. Shooting out from within the blade, ahead of them in the center of the Second District courtyard, a dark portal opened. The portal was nothing more than a black abyss - hiding the realm within. It was like staring into an ocean of darkness, without any reflection of yourself to return.

"You did it!" The proud friend gave the King a pat on the back and kneeled down next to him. "So, are you ready?"

"I'm ready." Mickey nodded, a determined glare in his eyes. "Let's save Aqua."

The two friends entered into the dark portal and after having vanished within, the portal disappeared - leaving not a trace of darkness behind.

* * *

It had been a while since Riku and the King had stepped foot in the realm of darkness. but when they had returned - it was like the endless, eternal darkness had never left.

There were few that would ever leave for the realm of darkness willingly, let alone return to the place that promised nothing but emptiness, lonliness and despair. Yet, Mickey and Riku had returned, brought right back into the heart of darkness.

"Endless." Riku stared off into the dark void ahead of him. Before he and the King lied a dark grey path that seemed to stretch for miles before him. The path led right through the immense darkness, not a glimmer of light or life to those that looked as hard as they were able to.

The two began their trek, walking side by side. The path stretched out before them and the further they walked, the longer the path seemed to become. It never ended. Occasionally, a group of Neoshadows or Darkball Heartlless would appear, but Riku and the King made quick work of them, before contuing the endless trek forward.

"I can't believe she's been down here all this time." Riku said, almost as a whisper. "To be trapped within darkness for over a decade - separated by those you care about."

Mickey frowned as Riku talked. It was more than just the feeling of being trapped within the realm of darkness, but it was the feelings that the realm transposed onto its' trespassers - emptiness, isolation, the constant struggle to remain alive and not let the darkness snuff out what little light was left.

"I always though that this place was meant to be like a prison for people like Xehanort's Heartless and Maleficent - a place where they were forever trapped by the darkness they wanted." Riku shook his head, "But to believe that a Keyblade Master has been trapped down here this whole time."

Mickey sighed and lowered his head, feeling his heart ache with pain. "Aqua deserved better. If only I'd managed to help her escape, but she was carried away by darkness..."

"It musn't have been an easy visit last time you were here, huh?" Riku asked.

"It was more difficult then you would believe," Mickey concluded. "At the time, Sora and the others were fighting Xehanort's Heartless and the darkness was immense. Aqua and I fought endlessly on the beaches of the islands...we found my Keyblade...but then the darkness carried her away...and that was the last I ever saw of her..."

"We can't let that happen again, we'll save her," Riku said.

"No matter what it takes," Mickey finished.

The two of them had continued walking until they arrived at an abyss consisting of many floating islands. Beyond the floating islands seemed to be an endless purple and black abyss that looked as though it took visitors into the deeper reaches of the realm of darkness. What was most noticeable however, was the large purple dome-shaped abyss that lied ahead. The dome was slightly translucent to the eye. The path directed the way right through it and then stretched on beyond it.

"What is that?" Riku questioned, wondering what other deceptive illusion the realm of darkness had decided to play on them.

"I don't know. There's no other way around."

Mickey and Riku exchanged glances at each other, before they both proceeded forward. They passed under the abyss, preparing for the worse, but when nothing happened, they were relieved.

Mickey turned to Riku with a smile, "See? Nothing bad."

"Yeah." Riku smiled back at the King.

Together, the two of them continued down the path ahead of them, heading towards the darker abyss ahead of them. With each passing step, Riku felt his steps grow weaker as his body grew tired.

"Mickey...I'm..." Riku began, stopping in his tracks.

"Huh?" The turned to his friend then.

"I'm...feeling..." Riku continued, beginning to slur his words.

Mickey's eyes widened when his friend fell to the ground and Riku's world fell to darkness.

* * *

Riku slowly opened his eyes then, feeling a strong wind whipping against his face. His body was turned down into the sand. He lifted his head and shot up when he realized he wasn't where he was when he blacked out.

"This...can't be-"

Riku's eyes widened when he realized that he was back at his home on the islands - the very moment that they were destroyed and taken by the darkness!

From the destroyed floating island, he looked out into the dark cloudy abyss that surrounded the islands and the ocean waves. Above him, a dark orb seemed to be the source that controlled the darkness that ripped through the world.

It was exactly as he had remembered.

Riku stared wide-eyed, watching as the Destiny Islands were destroyed again. "No, this can't be real..."

"You are correct." He heard a voice call out to him.

He quickly spun around to see the demon he had faced all those years ago.

"Xehanort's Heartless?!" Riku said, seeing the man exactly as he looked when Sora had faced him.

"Xehanort's Heartless? Such a formality," the heartless man commented. "I'd prefer Ansem."

Riku scoffed, "I know the real Ansem...and you're not him."

"Just as I know the real Riku and you are not him, either."

The boy called out, confused. "What are you talking about!? I have always been me!"

"No, Riku. I know the real you." The seeker of darknees coaxed, "I know the boy who went out in search of darkness, the one who willingly let the darkness latch onto him as he watched his home be destroyed - the one who let himself give into the darkness and become one with the darkness itself!"

Riku clenched his jaw, "But I'm not that person anymore! I've lived with my mistakes and since then, I've done nothing but fight against the darkness that I once succumbed to. I've overcome it and I'm working every day on becoming a better person - one that could balance the light and darkness with each other. They'll both make me stronger."

"Hmph. You think you've overcome the darkness?" Ansem's eyes thinned, like a snakes about to strike down on its' prey. "You've simply forgotten how powerful the darkness can be. I can help you remember."

Riku backed away from the man, never taking his eyes away from his enemy. "I...I want nothing from you."

"Oh, that wasn't always the case, Riku. It used to be the company of my darkness you sought after you abandoned your friends, your home...The darkness was the only comfort you could find, no friends...no family...no home to return to." He let out a low dark laugh then, "But you? You really think you've overcome the darkness?" He laughed again. "Deep down, you know what kind demon's inside you..."

"Enough talk, Ansem!" Riku cried out to the man, "What have you done to my home?! Have you plunged it into the realm of darkness again?!"

Ansem scoffed and advanced towards Riku, his voice echoing across the large storm that wrapped around them. "You still don't understand, do you? This isn't your island - it is all but an illusion, another element of the realm of darkness."

"What!?" Riku yelled out.

"Yes." Ansem continued, "You and that meddlesome King happened upon a rather 'unusual' abyss in the realm of darkness - the Veil of Nightmares."

"The Veil of Nightmares? This...this is a dream!?" Riku questioned, "A dream of when my island was destroyed?"

"Precisely. Now you understand." The heartless man raised his arms, as if summoning a powerful darkness. "As long as you are in the realm of darkness, you will be plagued by the nightmares of your past...and the nightmares that are certain to come."

"Ansem, what are you talking about!?" Riku's eyes widened, pleading. "Answer me!"

"Now, open your heart to the darkness, become darkness itself!" Ansem shouted out.

Riku cried out in pain as a dark aura began to glow around his form. He clutched his head, a sharp pain striking him down. He screamed out in pain and clutched his heart, feeling as if he was being split in half. A dark glow centered at his heart then and from within him, another form emerged...another Riku - the RIku that had been possessed by Ansem. Reaching out from within the man, the Dark Riku looked around. There was a brief moment where the two remained attached, the darkness tying the two men together.

Dark Riku sneered out when he saw himself still binded to his original form. With both hands, he pressed against Riku, forcing him away until he was fully able to pry the rest of his dark self from Riku's body, breaking the dark bind that tied them together.

Now on the island, two RIku's stood face to face against one another.

"You..." The Dark Riku looked at his original form in disgust. "Look at what you've become."

The two men circled the island then.

"A protector of light? Hmph. It doesn't suit you."

"I will defeat you." Riku gritted through his teeth.

The Dark Riku laughed at this. "You defeat me? Have you forgotten? I am you. If you try destroying me, you'd only be destroying yourself."

"No. I won't let the darkness win. I won't let it take over my heart, not again!" Riku forced his hand out and summoned his Keyblade - but the blade never appeared. He tried motioning for his blade to appear again, more concentrated this time. Again, the Keyblade did not appear. His eyes widened.

"Fool. Back when your home was destroyed, you didn't have the Keyblade to use. You didn't have the power of...'light' on your side." The Dark Riku stepped forwards the man then, "You don't have what it takes."

Riku began to feel himself falter then, "No...no..."

"You're weak." The other boy stared darkly down at the original, "That's why you needed me in the first place. No matter what you do, you can't destroy who we really are."

Riku slowly stepped towards his other, feeling the verge of darkness begin to take quarter in his heart. His lower lip trembled.

"Deep down inside, you know the truth. The darkness gave you power. Without it, you'd be nothing. You'll be defeated...just as you were before." The dark replica spoke to him, just inches away from his original now. "You and I are still the same. This is who you are."

The two identical men stared each other down then.

"You can't destroy our darkness."

Riku then felt a pulse deep in his heart - the place where he kept Sora and Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy, the place where the light and love was found. And he knew.

He stared up at the dark other, "Yes, I can." Then, the Keyblade materialized in his hand and impaled the dark replica through his chest.

Dark Riku's eyes widened in pain and surprise. He looked out into the distance in despair, watching as his original plunged the Keyblade through him. The man slowly looked down at the Keyblade sticking from his chest, not even an ounce of pain to be felt.

"I'm sorry." Riku whispered.

A sad frown appeared across the replica's face then. "If I'm only...a fake...then why do I feel...so...?" The rest of the words never came, as he looked down in sadness. His skin turned to sand then, as the man's form was destroyed and returned to the sand that covered the islands, swept away by the storm's winds.

The man's Keyblade clattered against the sand as it hit the ground.

"Well done, Riku." Ansem appeared again, just feet away from Riku. "I was certain you would let the darkness devour your heart once again."

"Think again." Riku spat back.

Ansem covered his mouth, to fend off a yawn. "Don't worry, in time you will see that I'm right. Darkness is not something that can be snuffed out so easily."

"You might be right, but Sora and I have defeated you once before and we'll defeat you again! Even if there's an army of thirteen of you."

"Foolish boy. This is all a dream of your memories - I'm not really here." The dark man smirked, "All these dreams are memories of things that have happened before...and things that will happen in the future. It is the fate of anyone that enters the realm of darkness and passes through the Veil of Nightmares."

"Nightmares of the past?" Riku questioned, wide-eyed. "And dreams...of the future?"

"And you are powerless to stop both." Ansem smirked and turned away from Riku, "You can try to stop me and Xehanort, you can try to stop the dark side of yourself, but you cannot stop the darkness, itself."

Riku clenched his jaw in anger.

"Everything you have and will see in your dreams in the realm of darkness will come to pass." Ansem smiled then and turned back to the young man.

"You should have never left that prison surrounded by water you called a 'home'. You would have been safer there."

With that, Xehanort's Heartless had vanished from sight, leaving Riku on the crumbling island of his former home. Then, everything went dark as the world was destroyed and sucked into the endless void of darkness.

* * *

Riku's eyes opened again then, blinking a few times before he realized he was actually awake.

The King stood over him, worried. "Riku! Are you okay?"

He sat up then and felt the world spinning around him. He clutched his head from the disorienting feeling. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

"What happened?" Mickey looked at his friend in concern.

"Nothing, Mickey. I'm fine, really." Riku got to his feet then and then slowly started to make his way back down the trail through the realm of darkness. "I guess the darkness is just wearing on me."

"We should rest soon then," Mickey suggested.

"Yeah." Riku said, looking back at the King, "If we're going to save Aqua, we have to make sure we survive the trip to do it."

Riku and the King disappeared as they walked further into the darkness.

* * *

Master Xehanort sat in his throne, overlooking all the other thrones in the Organization that he had assembled. He was flipping through the pages of the rarest journal to the Book of Prophecies, reading once again through the entry that had predicted the outcome of the battle between light and darkness.

Braig materialized in a pillar of darkness in one of the thrones opposite of his leader, a sullen look on his face.

"I can assume you've only returned here with new groud-breaking developments in our mission." The Master eyed down his vessel. "Did you find one of the princesses?"

Braig laughed nervously, "Hey old man, lighten up. So, we haven't found any of the princesses yet, big whoop. As far as we know, the boy and his friends haven't found any yet, either. I know you're a patient man."

"Where is the Keyblade wielder and his friends now?"

"Uh...we don't know." Braig said, shrugging his shoulders. "Isa lost his scent ever since the boy got to ol' wizard Yenny's tower."

"Hmm, Yen Sid, as clever as always. I should have known he would shield the boy from me."

Xehanort recalled the days where he, Eraqus and Yen Sid trained together as Keyblade wielders under their Master. He recalled his former friend's ability to wield the Keyblade - he was powerful, strategic and extremely skilled in the art of magic. As a Keyblade Master, Xehanort knew that Yen Sid was perhaps one of the most powerful wielders to have ever lived - and that was something Xehanort had envied. Though now, the two had lost any friendship or feelings of fondess for the other.

Xehanort said with a smirk, "The wizard's magic is too powerful for his own good."

"Yeah, so it might take a little longer to find Sora now that your former best bud is lending a helping hand."

"No matter." Xehanort turned his attention away from his vessel then and looked back at the book in his hands, "We continue searching for the princesses then and intercept Sora in his visits throughout the worlds. If luck is on our side, the princesses will lead us right to Sora."

"And even if we catch a princess, Sora and his friends are sure to come rescue her - which'll lead him right into our grasps."

"Precisely." Xehanort grinned. "Our plans continue as usual - scour the worlds and find the princesses and bring them to me at once."

"You know, it would be easier if it was more than just one person searching through the worlds for these chicks," Braig complained.

"You don't think you can do your own fair share of work?" Xehanort questioned, his head tilting. "None of the others have complained to me."

"Hah, as if! I'm just saying, some back-up is always a plus - especially up against Sora and his group of friends." Braig tried to persuade his leader, "Where's Isa? Or what about the...'younger' you. They'd help me out in a pinch." Braig thought with a smile, thinking that both Isa and Young Xehanort were both too hard-working for their own good and would more than cover the work Braig had to do.

"Isa has been sent to Radiant Garden in search of the other original forms of the Organization members."

"The others?" Braig spoke, "What are we recruiting them, too?"

"No. Isa is simply trying to...coerce them into joining an alliance with us. It is important to have spies everywhere. The could be useful for my plans."

Braig recalled his days back in Radiant Garden, before Xehanort in his apprentice role has released the heart from his body. Next was Xaldin, then Vexen, who had tried to get the young Ienzo to safety after he learned Xehanort's true intentions, but lost his heart trying to protect the boy. Then came Aeleus and finally, Ienzo had been caught and lost his heart, as well. Some time later, Isa and Lea were brought into the Organization...although the details of their introduction into the original Organization XIII were lost to him.

The thoughts of the original Organization XIII, made him think of the 'others' Isa was in search of - Myde, Ludro, Lumaria and Elenar. He could only suspect that Isa had threatened the four with violence to submit to Xehanort's demands and cooperate.

"So, Isa's out of the fray to help. What about the kiddo?" Braig turned to his leader, hoping to find some additional help to find the princesses - mainly because it meant him doing less work.

"The younger incarnation of myself is off on an important quest and is acquiring something important for me." Xehanort frowned down at his vessel, his golden brown eyes seemingly becoming larger. "Don't worry, Braig. If you are too concerned that you are doing more work than the others, I can assure you that is not the case."

The leader waved off the man and returned to the journal in his possesion. "You are dismissed. Go off and find the princesses. Do not return unless one of them is in our grasps."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Braig waved and turned his back on the man. He raised his eyebrow, a grin on his face, as he looked back at the man. "You seem too interested in that journal for your own good, old coot. I heard reading is good for the brain, but take a break once in awhile."

Xehanort closed the book and looked down. "This legendary book fortells my victory - the darkness' victory."

"Right, right. The 'legendary' Book of Prophecies," Braig waved his hands, his voice filled with mock amazement. "I don't get it it's just a bunch of books - just paper and ink. What's the big whoop?"

"Surely, you haven't heard all of the legends then," Xehanort said, descending down from his throne and landing a few feet within Braig.

The man turned back to his leader then, "Yeah, I heard some of the legends. They're from hundreds of years ago during the time of the Keyblade War. What gives? What's so special?"

"As the legends say, before the time of the Keyblade War, in a distant world, lived five Keyblade Masters - each one just as powerful as the next. Some legends state that there was a sixth Master, but the figure was shrouded in mystery and vanished from the world. Above each of these Masters was the Master of Masters - the original Keyblade Master. From the Original, the five Keyblade wielders - these Foretellers, as the legends call them - trained with their Master and became Masters themselves."

Braig scoffed, "Yeah, I got that, but-"

"In time, these Fortellers had formed different opinions on how to protect the light and its' purpose within the worlds. Each of them gained a following of their own - many other Keyblade wielders that believed in the same cause that their leader believed in. The five different factions began to fight amidst one another over the light."

"...and the Keyblade War began," Braig concluded.

"Yes, but before it did, the mysteries and legends of the Book of Prophecies had arisen." Xehanort said, bringing the book up to his face. "The Master of Masters had an eye that gazed into the future - one the original Keyblade had given them as a means to discover the outcome of the war. The Master had given his five apprentices each a journal of the Book of Prophecies. Each of them discovered the passage on the tome's last page." He opened to the last page of the book then.

" _On that land shall darkness prevail and light expire."_

Braig nodded as he began to understand, gaps of the legends beginning to fill in some more.

"After the five Fortellers had discovered the future written within the book, they tried to prevent it, but it only caused discord and ruthless violence amidst their followers, resulting in both the beginning of the Keyblade War...and the creation of the darkness. The fighting that had broken apart the once unified cause of protecting the light ensured the spread of the growing darkness and the war that waged on."

"And what happened to the Fortellers?" Braig asked.

Xehanort smirked, "As the Keyblade War began, the Master of Masters had vanished without a trace and one by one, each of the Fortellers, as well - leaving their legendary journals behind."

"And all the pieces were set in place to lead to how things are now," Braig concluded.

"More than you can believe," Xehanort stated with a smile.

Braig began to walk away from the man. But he had one last question.

He turned back to his leader.

"How do you know so much about this?"

Xehanort smiled.

* * *

 **Radiant Garden**

The Gummi Ship's updated transporter ability shot a beam of light down into the quiet evening setting of the Radiant Garden marketplace and from within this light, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Lea emerged. Donald ran to the stone edge of the Marketplace steps that overlooked the rest of the realm.

"Wow!" The duck called out into the starry night sky. The four others followed up behind him and looked out over the scenery.

Before the five stood the tall Radiant Garden castle, a former home of Ansem the Wise, which loomed over the many districts of the town, the bountiful gardens and forests and the many lakes and rivers that stretched as far as the eye can see. From looking closer into the town's many alleys and passageways, they could still see construction equipment and scaffolding arranged about the town. The construction process was still underway in the village, but from the last time Sora and his friends had been here, the towl had been immensely repaired.

"Eh, it's almost back to what it used to be," Lea said, a small hint of surprise in his voice when he saw his childhood home almost fully restored.

"I'd say the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee did a pretty good job!" Goofy chimed in, "I wonder how Leon and the others are doing?"

"Let's go find Merlin and see," Donald suggested, before leading the way down into the marketplace.

The bustling marketplace had died down by this hour of the evening and all of its' stores and restaurants had already closed up shop some time ago, the residents retiring to their homes and families for the evening. The five of them continued walking until they reached the other side of the marketplace, swiftly walking past the many shops. The group arrived at the stone steps that zig-zagged down to the village districts below the marketplace and brought people to a part of the world that they had called called the Garden Wall.

Built into the walls of the zig-zagging stairs, tall vines of leaves and flowers stretched, separated only by the glistening waterfall fountains that descended from the marketplace above. The flowers and waterfalls fell to the base of the stairs and then expanded into a small garden and river, that followed a gated-off canal which led to all the other rivers and lakes throughout the world. The garden was beautiful, filled with many exotic flowers in every type and color imaginable.

"Wow, this is beautiful," Kairi gasped, reaching the bottom of the stairs with the others. "I can't believe I wouldn't remember a place like this. This is amazing!"

"I wouldn't be too surprised, Kairi." Lea turned to her, "They're doing a really good job restoring this place to being better than what it ever was before. I have my memories of living here as a kid and I'll tell ya, the place definitely never looked as good as this."

"Yeah, the entire world has changed so much," Sora added.

"Just look at the castle!" Donald pointed up towards the looming castle that was before and slightly above them.

"Gawrsh, do you remember our first adventure here, Sora and Donald? We came to rescue you, Kairi." Goofy turned to his friends. "Back then, the castle was pretty scary-looking, but now...it actually looks pretty nice!"

Lea sighed and placed his hands behind his head, "It was a nice place until Ansem was banished from this world by Xehanort - since then, the entire place went down the tubes."

"It was him and Maleficent's darkness that changed and destroyed," Kairi concluded. "I might not have any memories of my time living here, but I'm at least glad that it's a beautiful place now when I've returned."

They looked down from the castle. In front of them there was a wooden bridge that led over the sparkling crystalline river and led to the entrance of the East District. In this new vision of the world, the towns had been separated into four districts based on their position around the castle. The East District consisted mainly of towns and shops. The North District was the region north of the castle, mainly occupied by gardens and lakes with some houses scattered in-between. The West District consisted of more towns, however this side of the neighborhood was a bit grittier and considered more dangerous based on the trouble that people stirred in the area in the various pubs, gambling dens and dark alleys. The South District was the exit of the town and the vast mountain ranges that stretched for miles away.

"Come on, we should go find Merlin. It's getting late." Sora said, leading the way.

The team crossed over the bridge and made their way into the Town Plaza, which was filled with various buildings and houses. It was here that the majority of the townspeople had lived, due to it's nice and quaint appearance and its' location to the marketplace. Dim lanterns lit the streets, their quiet electrical humming being the only noise that filled the evening alleys.

"What time is it?" Donald said, walking through the evening streets. He stared from building to building, looking past the lit windows of the buildings that guided the way to Merlin's house.

"It must be pretty late. Everyone's already headed back home." Goofy said.

"Don't you guys know yet?" Lea said with a smile, "Time works differently in each of the worlds. They travel at different speeds on different lanes. I guess it's just one of the many mysteries of our universe."

"Yep, which is why it's so hard to adjust to it." Sora smiled. "Hey, I think Merlin's is-"

The young man was caught off then when he heard a growl from behind him. They all sensed a chill crawl up their spines then. They slowly turned around to see - a ferocious lion standing there?!

The lion let out a loud roar, it's piercing yellow eyes cutting through the night. It shook it's mangled black mane before it slowly started prowling towards the group of friends. The lion seemed to stare directly at Kairi.

"Sora..." Kairi said, backing away behind him, holding tightly onto his shoulders.

The lion then diverted its' attention to Donald and lunged forward.

"Wak!" Donald yelled, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. He dodged the lion and his face landed flat into one of the buildings nearby.

Sora jumped to where Donald just stood and held his Keyblade up, just as the lion clamped its' sharp jaws around the blade. The wielder winced, using all of his strength to try to push against the lion and fend the ebast away.

"Sora, look out!" Lea cried out.

Sora looked over just in time to see the fireball flying towards him and the lion. He let out a sharp gasp, before flipping backwards into the air, dodging the ball of fire and landing on his feet.

The lion reared back when it saw the flame just barely miss it. It looked at the burning ball of fire on the ground for a moment, before it was extinguished. It diverted its' attention back to the group of friends and let out a loud roar, one that echoed down the alleys.

"Gawrsh, got any other idea?" Goofy asked his friends, scared.

"Presto!" They heard from behind them. They spun around to see the old wizard.

"Merlin!"

With wand in hand, the old wizard shot a stream of magic at the lion, striking the beat right in its' face. The lion reared back for a moment and shook its' head, clearly left in a daze. Merlin shot another spark at the lion, which caused the creature to only further sink into a disoriented state. Without another moment to spare, the creature backed away and ran off in the opposite direction it came.

"What was that?" Donald said after recovering, rubbing his back.

"A Heartless?" Sora said, looking back in the direction the lion ran off to, "We've never seen anything like that here."

"This place is just full of surprises," Lea commented.

"That was no Heartless." The wise Merlin spoke, pushing his glasses further back on his nose. "I could sense some magical properties in the works."

"That thing was magical?" Kairi asked, looking back down the alley.

"Or something like that. At least it's gone now," Merlin finished. "Anyways, I knew you'd be coming! Looks like I found you all just in the knick of time." He finished with a small chuckle.

"Yes!" Donald spoke with a smile, "Master Yen Sid told us you would show us the way to the Secret Sanc-"

"Shhh! We must keep the Secret Sanctum a secret between us for the princesses' sake." Merlin warned them in a hushed whisper, "Maleficent still dwells in this land and she could have spies and magical deceptions where she sees fit. We must be careful."

"We will, Merlin." Sora added, "We promise. We want to make sure the princesses remain safe."

"Good, good..." Merlin began to lead then down the street, "Now then, follow me. It's time we get you into bed."

"Bed?!" Sora asked wide-eyed, feeling as though he was a kid again and his parents were putting him into the sleep. "I thought we were gonna find the Secret Sanctum!"

"Ahem, young man! What did I just say?" Merlin questioned.

"Oh, right...I'll be more quiet about it." Sora corrected and laughed nervously, "Sorry."

"Yes, we're taking you to bed. Surely, you can't expect an old wizard to wait around for you all night. We'll resume our adventure in the morning. I think you could all use a good night's sleep," Merlin suggested. "Plus, Leon and the others will happy to see you in the morning."

"Where are they?" Donald asked.

"Cid set up a place for them in town nearby," Merlin said. "They've been keeping their hands full with restoring the world and I'd say they're doing a splendid job! They'll come along in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan." Sora said with a smile, as he and his friends followed the wizard to his house.

* * *

Mickey and Riku continued down the endless passages in the dark realm for a few hours longer - no Aqua or any living creature in sight, for that matter. Their feet had grown tired and they grew restless from the endless walking and fighting off the Heartless that appeared.

Riku stumbled to the ground then and caught himself with one of his hands, keeping himself up.

"Oh gosh, Riku. Come on, we need to find a place to rest." Mickey said to his friend, helping him back up to his feet.

"Thanks, Mickey." Riku said, as his friend helped him to his feet. "There. Up ahead."

Mickey looked ahead of them then. From within the darkness, the two could spot a small black stone structure with what looked like a steeple on it. It looked like a tower of sorts but open on all sides, only supported by the stone beams that held the steeple up. It was unlike anything the two had come across in the realm.

The two of them made their way to the structure and once they pushed past the torn black curtains, they came across a bed with a tattered black cloth over it. Opposite of the cloth was a stone fireplace structure, scattered ashes in the fireplace. On the mantle of the fireplace were stone statues of dragons.

"What is this place?" Mickey asked out loud.

"This must be where Maleficent lived after Sora destroyed her back when Radiant Garden was Hollow Bastion. It was believed she died...but she was sent here until she could use her dark powers to return..." Riku concluded.

"It seems so lonely...and empty."

"Sadly, Maleficent didn't know much else," Riku said.

"Well, I think this place would be as good as any to take a rest. I think you could use it." Mickey smiled up at his friend, "Whaddya say, Riku?"

"Thanks, Mickey." Riku smiled back at the King, before settling down into the bed.

"Don't worry about me. I'm going to keep an eye out for you while you catch up on sleep." Mickey said, heading outside the steeple to keep watch. Although he was dreadfully tired as well, he didn't want to fall asleep, as he, too, knew about the truths of the Veil of Nightmares.

And right now, nightmares were not something he wanted to endure.

Riku raised a hand to his mouth to try to ease an oncoming yawn, "At least we don't have to worry about Maleficent here anymore, huh?"

* * *

A raven flew over the vast mountain ranges of Radiant Garden, heading towards the dilapidated castle that was found on the edge of the world. The castle's spires shot up from the earth like tall rusted pipes, years of decay from both old age and darkness. The raven returned to its' home and landed on the stone perch on the upmost balcony of the castle. Upon its' return, a pale hand reached out pet the bird.

The woman turned around then and slowly stepped back into her lair, her black robes trailing behind her. Each step she took sent echoes deep through the bowels of her fallen castle.

Inside her lair, the two other waited for her, patiently waiting as her horned figure came into view. She finally emerged from within the shadows, her pale skin so white, it almost looked green. A wicked smile appeared across her face, as her raven perched itself upon her staff.

Maleficent - the Mistress of All Evil.

"Gentlemen. So I see that foolish Pete isn't as useless as I thought he was." Maleficent spat out, even though she was pleased with her henchman's work.

"Yes, I got that blundering oaf's message." Captain Hook sneered out from within the shadows of the lair.

"But, the interesting thing is, what could the Mistress of All Evil have in store that required this little party." Hades said, approaching Maleficent. "Unless of course, she just needed the company of her former companions."

"Lackeys is more like it." Hook corrected.

"Really, Captain? After all the years of working together, you would think I would just consider you two disposable lackeys?" Although evil, she was sincere with her feelings for two and had formed a friendship based on their long history of working together and their affinity towards the darkness.

"Whoa, whoa, simmer down, Mal." Hades said to her with a smile, "Now, why have you called us here?"

"I've called the two of you here today because we have a very important task at hand - rebuilding our team," Maleficent answered.

"Team?" Hades let out a laugh, "Most of our original team bit the dust. I should know, that sea witch is swimming in the River of Souls now. And that bag of bugs? Smashed to bits."

"Which is why we must turn to new recruits." Maleficent said, a thin smile on her lips. "New friends to welcome into our league. Pete is out in search now."

"Why should we invite new friends..." Hades began, stepping towards Maleficent, the flames on his head burning brightly, "...when old friends are much...better company."

Hook rolled his eyes and shook his head. It was no surprise to any of their original group when there had been a small 'dalliance' between the Mistress of All Evil and the Lord of the Dead. Although Maleficent had enjoyed the small flirtations from Hades, she never mixed business and pleasure together. And that's all Hades was to her - certainly not love.

"You're handsome face buys you many things,..." Maleficent said, walking up to him and tracing her finger over his chin, "...but not my time."

A loud roar shook the castle then.

Captain Hook looked around, "What the bloody hell was that?"

Maleficent turned back to him with a smile, "One of our...new friends."

The three waited, hearing the approaching footsteps and the low growling coming closer and closer and within moments, a lion had appeared within the lair.

"What is this?" Hades asked, staring the lion down.

In an instant, the lion's body contorted and shifted, transforming and taking on it's true form. A dark trail of smoke covered the figure. The two gentlemen watched in awe as the lion's figure transformed into that of a thin woman.

The woman fluffed out the large lion coat she had over her shoulders and flipped out her black and white hair from beneath the furry coat. Her drawn-on thick eyebrows and make-up covered face scrunched up when she caught the smell of the place.

Hook nodded, "Cruella De Vil."

"I thought I caught a whiff of gin or was that just me?" Hades added, having only heard about Cruella through word spread about her reputation alone.

"Oh, back up." Cruella said to the man, but straightened when she caught sight of the pirate. "No, seriously - back up. Let me take a good look at you, Captain Chiseled Chin."

The one-handed pirate eyed the woman curiously, trying to hide the blush on his face.

Cruella slipped off her heavy coat, revealing her tall, almost skeletal figure in her tight black dress and black and white spotted high heels. The dress hugged her thin body and showed off her bony shoulders. She turned to Hook, moving her lips close to his cheek, "Here, darling. Mommy needs a little hand. Fortunately for you, I only need one of them."

Hook took the fur coat from the woman and threw it over his arm.

"Be careful with it, darling. It's lion's fur - very rare." She tilted her head, stepping closer towards Hook. "Don't worry, it doesn't bite anymore...but I still do if you like that."

"Ugh, geez." Hades said, raising his long pointed fingers to his head.

Cruella walked up to the table at the center of the lair, one that Maleficent used as a means of conjuring magical visions of those she wished to spy on.

"So, who wants to tell me why the hell I've been called to this ghastly place?" Cruella asked, looking around at the three other dark souls around the table, while flipping her disheveled hair from her face.

"We all have one thing in common - we're villains and as so, the cards have always been stacked against us because of this...power of the light." Maleficent smiled then, "We're here today because we are going to change the outcome of this."

"And who could possibly have such power," Cruella questioned.

"It isn't a matter of 'who', but of 'what'." Maleficent turned her back to her accomplices, "A short time ago, the big oaf and I found ourselves wandering within a 'datascape' - the digital world found inside of the journal that chronicled Sora and his friends' adventures."

"Yeah, yeah, go on, yeah," Hades half-mumbled.

Maleficent continued on, "While inside, I uncovered the connection between the data and the legendary 'Book of Prophecies.'"

"The what now?" Cruella asked, fiddling with the cheap costume jewelery she wore on her ears.

"The legendary book that foretold the future." The dark fairy acknowledged, "It is said to have the power to create entire universes and to give complete and total control to the owner of these books when all of them are gathered together."

"Data? Prophecies?" Hook questioned, "It boggles my mind. This wasn't part of our original plans, Maleficent."

"No, it was not." Maleficent turned back to the others. "Many years ago, I had come across a man...some of you might know him by the name of...Master Xehanort." She sneered out when she said his name, almost as if it set her tongue on fire. "He had once told me that gathering seven hearts of the purest light would enable me to rule over all the worlds - little did I know, he had only tricked me into gathering them together for him for his own purposes. Xehanort - always the deceiver."

"But...due to the many mysteries and complexities of the worlds, it became too difficult to sieze them all, which is why I found this new route. If this data and the Book are, in fact, connected as I suspect, by claiming the data of the worlds within the journal - it will give us power over the worlds, themselves."

"So, it sounds like we're on a mission to collect some journals," Hades finished.

"Precisely." Maleficent said with an evil grin. "But it won't be so easy with Sora and his friends flittering about the realm of light...with all their...'goodness'."

"Ah, yes. Those three." Cruella said, watching as Maleficent summoned a vision of the three at the center of the table. "I found those three back in the town. If that old crone wizard hadn't shown up, I would have made that duck into a new hat."

Maleficent turned to the new friend, "Sora and the others have returned to this realm?"

"Yes, they were walking in the Town Plaza late this evening," the black and white-haired fashionista confirmed.

Maleficent turned back to face the balcony of the castle, a smile on her face. She stepped forward, the three cohorts following behind her. "Pete will return soon with even more recruits for our cause..."

"This time - I'd say the villains will finally win."

* * *

Sora laid back on the roof of Merlin's house, his hands resting behind his head. He stared up into the night sky of Radiant Garden, the twinkling stars above. His thoughts went to his parents and his home and a part of his heart felt empty then.

He sighed out, 'At least the stars look the same.'

All was quiet except for Donald's distant snoring and the few of the creaking noises coming from the strange and unusual moving equipment that spun about the roof of Merlin's house. He heard a slight creak below him then, a window opening.

"Sora?" He heard Kairi call out to him.

"Up here." Sora whispered down to her, seeing her appear from within the window. He bent over the side of the roof and extended his hand down to hers. He strongly hoisted her up onto the roof until she securely stood.

"What are you doing up here?" Kairi asked curiously.

"I couldn't sleep," He answered honestly.

"Guess that makes two of us," Kairi said, taking the spot next to Sora and lying back, staring up at the castle above and the night sky that twinkled with thousands of stars. "Too much going on in my head...about the Keyblade War, the Princessess, Xehanort...worrying about you..."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me." Sora looked at her with a charming smile, "It's like you said - you won't let anything happen to me."

"I know. I won't." Kairi turned to him and smiled. There was a moment of silence between the two of them before Kairi spoke again. "Hey...remember back on the islands, before our adventures began...I told you I was happy on the islands, but that I wouldn't mind going to see my original home?"

"Yeah?"

"Well...I'm happy I'm seeing it with you." Kairi said, smiling at him.

Sora felt his heart beat then when he looked down and saw her smiling up at him. "I'm happy I'm seeing it with you, too."

She scooted closer to him until her body had touched his and placed her head down over his chest, listening to his heart beat. It was strange. The two had always had feelings for one another ever since they were kids, even though up until this moment,they both had never really acted on it - mainly because they didn't want it to interfere with their friendship with Riku. But now, lying there, Sora thought that he would be so nervous about what to do or how to act - but it just felt so natural for her to be there and any worries he had meted away when he saw her smile against him.

She closed his eyes, "Sora, don't ever change."

He adjusted his position and scooted in closer to her, "I won't. I promise."

As she fell asleep on his form, the last thing Sora saw before he closed his eyes was a shooting star streaming across the beautiful nighttime sky.

* * *

Master Xehanort walked down one of the many corridors of the new Organization XIII's headquarters in the Castle That Never Was. The blinding white walls of the castle led the way to the large atrium at the side of the castle that overlooked the entire dark city below. The elderly man stared out, observing the industrial dark world.

He was taken out of his thoughts then when he heard the approaching footsteps come from behind him.

"Master Xehanort," the Young Xehanort incarnation said, as he approached his ancient, older self. "I have returned with the vessel that Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness suggested."

"Ah, so you have brought him?" Xehanort questioned, watching as a hooded figure wearing one of the Organization's robes stepped down the atrium and stood behind his younger self.

"Did he put up a fight?"

The younger Xehanort shook his head, "No, but navigating through time to the correct time and place of that castle wasn't easy. I had to evade many tricks and traps while scouring the castle for him."

"But you brought him here in one piece," Xehanort smiled. "And that's what matters."

"Yes. He was more than willing to join our cause when I told him that we could give him a heart - your heart...so that he wouldn't be a 'fake' anymore..."

The cloaked figure pulled back his hood - revealing one of Vexen's many creations, the replicated Riku from Castle Oblivion.

* * *

In the realm of darkness, Riku tossed and turned in his sleep - caught deep within the terrors of another nightmare. His body shook and within his mind's eyes, there was a bright flash of light and the sound of screeching metal as blades clashed.

* * *

He was in the fogged town streets of Radiant Garden, as a figure wearing an Organization robe approached him. Instantly, the two met with the clash of blades as Riku summoned his Keyblade. Their blades continually clashed, fending off one another's attacks and trying to stike the other down before they could attack again. The intensity of the battle was immense, the attacks and counterattacks never ceasing, as sparks flew as the blades clashed.

When Riku's opponent had seized an opening in his attacks, they lifted their foot up and kicked Riku in the chest, sending the young man to the ground.

Riku winced in pain, but before the opponent could approach, he back flipped onto his feet and again, their blades clashed with one another. Riku clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, trying to use all of his power to fend the enemy off and push him back with his Keyblade. As Riku tried to fend off the enemy then, he caught a glimpse into his opponent's glowing golden brown eyes, masked beneath the shadows of their hood.

The glance was soon over though, as within a moment, the battle resumed. Riku encircled his Keyblade in the air, angling it down to strike the enemy - but the opponent had anticipated the attack and blocked the Keyblade with his own weapon, sending Riku's blade flying through the air.

Riku watched in terror as he looked behind him, seeing his weapon clatter to the ground, out of reach.

He turned his face around just in time to see his opponent impale their blade right through his chest, a sharp cry of pain escaping him.

* * *

Riku shot up from the tattered bed in which he slept and instantly rose his hands to his chest, checking for a wound or a blade, but there was nothing. It was just another sick nightmare. He felt his hands tremble and shake, as he rose them to his forehead to wipe away the sweat that had formed.

Then, he remembered what Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness had told him in his other dream.

" _All these dreams are memories of things that have happened before...and things that will happen in the future_."

" _Everything you have and will see in your dreams in the realm of darkness will come to pass_."

Riku knew then, the dream that he saw, the dream that would come to pass - was his death.


	3. Dark Side

**Chapter Three** \- **Dark Side**

Morning soon came and as daybreak arrived at Radiant Garden, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Lea awoke at Merlin's Tower. As Merlin had promised the late evening before, the group would set off to find the ancient Secret Sanctum that day - a hidden chamber that Merlin constructed hidden away somewhere deep within Radiant Garden.

The five were scattered about the many books, bawbles and old antiques that cluttered Merlin's study, packing the necessary items and equipment needed for the day ahead of them.

Sora and Kairi were huddled off in a corner of the small study. The morning between the two had been spent in silence, as the two had exchanged quick glances at one another when the other wasn't looking.

Kairi spoke first in a whispered voice, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Of course!" Sora said instantly, in a tone that sounded a bit too anticapating of the question at hand. He blushed, "I-I...ugh, I mean tha-"

"It's okay." Kairi giggled, "I slept well, too. You're comfy."

He turned to her, his cheeks turning redder as a wide smile stretched across his face. "It's a shame we won't get to do a lot of resting up on this trip of ours. Last night...sorta reminded me of those nights spent back on the islands - just us, the stars, not a care in the world - it was really nice.:

Kairi smiled and continued packing her equipment, "Well, we;ll just have to have more of those nights once we get back to the islands after this adventure is all finished up with."

"I'll hold you to it," He replied to her with a wink.

"It's a promise," She smiled at him, "Until then, we'll just have to spend as much time as possible and not let anything come between that."

Donald barged in-between them then, "Okay, let's wrap this up." The duck went to his bag and finished packing away a few items, "Potions, check. Ethers, check. Other thing...where did I put that stupid other thing? Oh, check. Uhh...I keep thinking I'm forgetting something."

Goofy pondered and turned to the old wizard, "Gawrsh Merlin, if the place we're headed to is a secret, do we really need to be preapred with all this stuff?"

"Well, the place will be well protected, so you shouldn't have to worry about fighting..." Merlin assured.

"But it's always a good idea just to be extra prepared," Sora chimed in, throwing a small satchel over his shoulder. "So, we ready?"

"Mhm." Kairi agreed, throwing a bag over her shoulders and rising to her feet to join Sora.

Lea rubbed his chin in wonder, "I lived in this town for most of my life. Su, uh...where exactly does one hide a hidden chamber?"

"Where else?" Merlin said, opening the large wooden door to his house. "The castle, of course. Let's go lady and gentlemen, we must be on our way!"

Merlin rushed the group out of his house and led them through the town in the direction towards Cid's place. The group quickly made it through the town in the early morning, surprised to see that the Heartless were relatively kept at bay.

Once they reached the borough at the town's center, they saw a collection of shadows appear in what looked to be about a dozen of them.

"You ready guys?" Sora called out to his team, summoning the Keyblade.

"Confounded creatures!" Merlin shrieked, his bushy white eyebrows furrowing in anger, "We'll never restore the town with these blasted things always running about!"

The group of shadows turned their attention towards Sora and his companions for a moment and just stood there. For a minute, the shadows just stood their - their yellow, glowing eyes looking at the six figures as if they had just interrupted an important gathering. Then, the antennas of the group of shadows all twitched at the same time, before they all turned away from the group and started making their way down the street, avoiding the group entirely.

"A-wha...?" Lea said, scratching the back of his flame-red hair in a state of confusion.

The shadows continued away from the group then, as if trying to purposely aboid the confrontation. The strangest thing proceeded to happen then when it looked like one of the shadows seemed to wave back at Sora, before continuing away with its' dark brethren.

"What-what was that?" Sora said, taking himself out of a battle stance and putting the Keyblade away.

"Gawrsh, I don't know." Goofy said, scratching his head and looking around, "We should go head on out to Cid's before they come back though!"

"Agreed!" Donald said, charging the town the street with the others following behind him.

"Come, right this way." Merlin directed the group towards one of the houses that looked identical to all of the other houses in the cluster of buildings. The only distinguishable difference that this house had was that in front of all of the windows, flowers had been planted in the window sill and in a small gated garden off at the front of the house - surely an act of Aerith's, who had worked as a flower maiden within the town. The group of friends entered into the quaint little house.

"There you are." Leon said as the group of friends walked into the dining area of the house, as he was sitting at one of the tables with Cid. "We were wondering when you were going to show up."

"Hey Leon," Sora greeted the man with a smile, "You look like you've been keeping yourself busy."

The brunette smiled and nodded, "What can I say? Restoring a whole town is a lot of work. Thankfully, there isn't a shortage of people willing to help. The Restoration Committee keeps growing and growing."

"Yeah, we saw some of the improvements!" Donald said with a smile, "The town is looking really good!"

"Well, we've still got a far ways to go before we finished, but we're getting there." The man patted Cid's shoulder, "Alot of Cid's handiwork and equipment is to thank for the advancements we've been making."

The older man removed the toothpick from his mouth, "Well, when you're good at what ya do, why not let the whole world see it? Just as long as you buncha nitwits don't go destroying any of this crap we've worked so hard on fixin', ya hear?"

"Glad to see you never change, Cid," Sora smiled.

"Never have, never will, man," He said before he leaned back in his chair and stood himself up from the table, walking to the sliding back door that led to a small yard. They could see scraps of metal and equipments lying about in heaps. "If ya need me, I'm gonna be back here workin' on this stupid piece of shi-"

"Sheesh, guys! I heard you guys were coming! I just didn't expect it to be so soon." The familiar voice of a young ninja called out to them from the hall, before she sprinted down the hall to see them all.

"Yuffie!" They cheered. "How have you been?"

"Never better!" The young ninja happily replied. "Hey Aer, look who's here!"

Aerith poked her head out of her bedroom door and smiled when she saw them. "Sora, Donald, Goofy! Merlin told us that you were going to be back. How have you all been?"

"Great!" Donald and Goofy said in unison.

Aerith's eyes squinted a little when she caught sight of the young red-haired woman in front of her, "...Kairi?"

Kairi smiled and nodded.

"Wow, it's been so long since we last saw you in Traverse Town." Aerith smiled and looked between Kairi and Sora. "It looks like things worked out then and you both ended up back on the islands. I knew you two would find each other."

Sora and Kairi both blushed as they looked at each other with small smiles.

"Wow, Kairi. I barely recognized you. You look so different!" The ninja gave her a thumbs up then, "It's a good different."

"Well, seems I'm late to the party," Lea said, watching the reunion of the old friends. "My name is Lea."

Leon tilted his head and looked at the man, "You're from this town, aren't you? You look familiar."

Lea nodded, "Yepp, this is my home town."

"We probably all saw each other in passing," Aerith said, "It was all over ten years ago, we were only teens back then."

Goofy continued, "Yepp, and then he joined the Organization and became one of the bad guys but was still kinda a good guy cuz he was always sort of friends with Sora, but then he was gone...but then he came back...and...gawrsh, I'm confused." He concluded by scratching his head.

"Anyway, I'm one of Sora's friends, so...a friend of his is a friend of mine." Lea said to Leon, Aerith and Yuffie with a smile.

"Glad to hear it." Leon nodded and smiled back.

Merlin called the attention of everyone in the room, "Now, now, everyone, pay close attention. We're about to head to the Secret Sanctum, located deep within the castle. When Sorcerer Yen Sid had told me the events which were transpiring, I knew I had to lend a helping hand. So, in secrecy, I had constructed the Secret Sanctum, a place to keep the princesses safe from harm and Master Xehanort. Only those in this room and Master Yen Sid know of it's whereabouts - and we must keep it this way."

"So, once we gather the seven princesses, their power will create the Key to Return Hearts..." Sora continued, "...and from it, we'll be able to end the pain of all those who've been suffering..."

"I think that's what Master Yen Sid said," Goofy agreed.

"But it is vital that these princesses remain safe. Their power can summon a pathway to Kingdom Hearts, something else which Xehanort seeks," Merlin finished. "When you find the princesses throughout the worlds, bring them there. They'll be safe."

"Aww, so some princesses are just gonna sit in some stinkin' dungeon?" Donald questioned.

"Oh ho ho, you underestimate my home-making abiltiies? Don't let my mess of a house fool you, Donald! I think they will find the place quite comfortable," Merlin defended.

Leon stepped forward, "We're going with you all today. We all want to lend a helping hand."

Aerith nodded, "With the construction gearing up around town, it could become a little bit more difficult to get around the place. Even just getting up to the castle can be a problem - I heard some new security patrol has been hired by the town."

"Security patrol?" Donald questioned.

Leon shrugged, "The people wanted it. They don't want to have to worry about the Heartless or monsters wandering around. Why worry about it when someone else can be in charge of it, right?"

"That could explain why there have been fewer and fewer Heartless around town." Aerith added.

"I guess so." Sora shrugged and crossed his arms, "I just hope they don't give us problems getting around the place."

Yuffie sighed and rolled her eyes, "Ugh, please. They're clearly not doing a very good job. I stole from nearly half the shops in the marketplace just yesterday. Forget about the damage I did last week."

The group all looked at Yuffie.

"What? A thief's gotta work."

"Let's head up to the castle." Aerith said, turning back to the group, "Merlin will show us the way. Just remember, we have to keep it a secret."

"Got it. Let's move out."

The group of Sora, his friends and the leaders of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee left Cid's house and headed through the village. The early hours of Radiant Garden left the streets quiet and peaceful, maybe just one or two passerbys wandering past. The group made their way through the town buildings, making their way up a large staircase to a stone landing that looked onwards towards most of the towns in the East District, the castle, the surrounding mountain ranges and the far off castle Maleficent had once claimed as the base of her villainous operations.

Sora looked up and pointed towards the castle the residents had called Villain's Vale. "Is Maleficent causing any problems around here still? We can always pay her a visit, too, if need be."

Yuffie shook her head, "No. In fact, we haven't seen or heard anything about her at all."

"Oh, pesky witch!" Merlin said, pushing his glasses back on his face. "There are few with powers like hers - which I suppose is a good thing."

"Aw, but Merlin, I'm sure her powers are no match for yours."

"Well, you know boys, I had once trained Maleficent in the art of magic long ago, before she started down the path of darkness," Merlin informed.

Sora looked at the old wizard, "You trained her?"

"Yes, when she resided in the Enchanted Dominion. Even as a young girl, her abiltiies were immense as she told me, but by the time she was a young woman, she had mastered the magic it would have taken sorcerers ages to learn." The wizard's face hardened, "Then, things unknown to us took hold of Maleficent's heart, started her down her dark path to create the witch she is today."

"She used that castle as a base all those years ago when she claimed Radiant Garden as her own and transformed it with her powers." Aerith added, "Her vision of this world...Hollow Bastion, was just so...empty."

Leon nodded, "We haven't seen her since then. A part of me thinks she left this world for good. That castle is practically falling apart as it is. But if she ever proves to be a problem, we know we can always count on you guys."

Sora smiled at them before they continued along the stone ledge, which led behind a stone wall that separated the town from the passageways that led up to the castle. On the other side of the wall, a zig-zagging staircase led the way back down. In front of them was a gate that stretched as tall as the wall before them. At the base of the gate was a small door, locked and operated by a control panel that only allowed access if the correct code had been inputed. Each of the four districts of Radiant Garden featured a gate that separated the grounds outside of the castle from the grounds within, keeping out any trespassers or vandals that had hoped to sneak into the castle for whatever reason their heart desired.

"No Heartless, no security patrol. All good things. Let's not jinx it. It's gonna be a great day." Yuffie re-assured the team. "Spoke too soon." She pointed down to the electrical mechanic working on the control panel.

The group stopped at the final step leading from the stairs when they saw the figure in dirtied overalls and a mask that covered their face, which had provided useful when the tools they were using on the panel spurred an electrical discharge and sparked.

Leon cleared his throat and approached the figure, "Um...excuse me, sir. We have important duties at the castle. May we pass?"

The electrician groaned and as soon as they did, Leon knew he had mistaken the electrician for a man. "Ugh, obviously someone with a thick head like yours couldn't tell a man from a woman. And no, the security patrol hired me to keep riff-raff like you out of the castle, not like I'd care what they'd tell me to do anyway."

Leon scratched the back of his head, "Um, look, sorry, miss. We just have important matters at the castle. We need to get through."

"Yeah? And I need a job that's not in a horrible place with all these horrible people. Tough breaks for both of us, I guess," the woman said.

Lea picked up on the voice and thought it sounded awfully familiar. "Well, well...look who's back in their original occupation as the town electrician...Still hating everything and not obeying your leaders, I see. Not like much changed when you were in the Organization."

The woman whipped her head around and spotted her former associate. She lifted the mask off her head, letting her blonde locks fall over the dirtied shoulders of her uniform.

"Larxene," Lea smiled. "Long time, no see."

"It's Elenar now...but you should know that...right, Lea?" She scoffed, "Back to working as the town's favorite doormat. I never realized how clueless and needy people are, they can never do anything for themselves. Ugh, I hate this place and everyone in it."

"You seem pleasant now." Lea nodded his head, "I'm glad you've found your life's calling."

"Shut up." Elenar rolled her eyes and returned to her work, "I work myself to the bone for hours on end to get no recognition for it, I make pennies and now, I have Myde sleeping on my couch playing his sitar at all hours of the night, eating my food and taking up space. Ugh, I'm about ready to slash either my ears or his hands off."

Sora crossed his arms and turned to Donald and Goofy, "Hmm, I guess Lea and this...'Elenar' were in the Organization together?"

Goofy placed a finger on his chin, "Hmm, but we never met her in the Organization..."

"Unless...she was there when we came to that castle, you know, before we woke up in Twilight Town."

Donald leaned into Goofy, "She's clearly not very nice." He eyed the incredibly demeaning and cut-throat woman with uncertainty.

Lea continued, "I guess you betraying the original Organization didn't sit so well with Xehanort, I suppose."

"What do you mean 'original' Organization?" Elenar stopped her work to look at her former accomplice.

"So, you haven't heard then?" Lea smirked, "Xehanort's returned."

Elenar's eyes widened when she heard the man's name. She squinted her eyes, questioning the validity of what Lea had just told her. "Xehanort?"

"You remember, right?" Lea said, "Even Xemnas is just a lackey to the old guy. Who knows what he would make of the rest of the Organization if he found them."

Elenar mentally cursed and slammed her power tools on the ground, before she kicked the metal gate. "I'm not getting myself involved with any of that group again."

"Well, ever since you tried to overthrow the Organization with Marluxia, I don't think they'd want you, anyway. But if Xemnas is out there...he might want to deal with you personally."

Elenar kicked the gate again, "Ugh, I have to get out of here."

"Wait, where are you going?" Lea asked, watching as his former accomplice packed up her things in a hurry.

"Anywhere - wherever I could hide from Xehanort and the rest of his group." Elenar scoffed, "As awful as my life is now, I don't need that again..."

"Gee, um...Elenar," Sora began, "I know you are in a rush and don't want to get involved in any of this, but could you at least open the gate for us? Please?"

"Ugh, you really are pathetic." Elenar scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Sorry, no can do. I was under strict orders to keep this gate under its' code lock by the security patrol. I couldn't open this gate even if I wanted to. Which I don't."

"Come on!" Sora pleaded.

"I already said ' no'. No need to act like a big baby." Elenar retorted back with a strict glare.

"Why, you-"

"No, Sora." Aerith stopped him, "Just let her go."

"Well, ta-ta then. Hope I won't have to see you low-life morons again." Elenar waved them off and quickly made her up the stone steps that led towards the town. "I'm not letting myself get caught up in that mess of Xehanort or the Organization again. You idiots can fend for yourselves.""

Lea raised a hand to his chin and thought out loud, "Hmm, I guess if Elenar returned back to what she was doing before the Organization...I guess most of the others have, as well...except for Braig...and Isa."

Yuffie pondered, "Now, was it just me, or was that the worst person I've ever met in my life?"

"I don't think you're too far off." Leon replied and crossed his arms.

Sora turned away from his friends and Leon, Aerith, Yuffie and Merlin then and walked up to the gate, placing his hands on the iron gate that blocked access to the path leading up to the castle.

He almost felt like trying to kick the thing down, but knew that it was not going to do any good. "Just great. Now how are we going to get in?'

Aerith walked up to the control panel next to the gate and studied it for a moment. "Don't worry."

She fiddled with the control panel for just a moment. She placed a finger on her chin in though for a quick moment, before she pressed in a four digit code into the panel. '1218'.

Moments later, the gate shook and slowly opened, the code disabling the security lock over the gate - granting them access to the castle.

"Whoa, how did you do that?" Donald said, stepping through the gate.

"Those of us in the Restoration Committee know all the codes to get to the different sections of the town," Aerith turned back to them with a smile. "Comes in handy when trying to get around. If Elenar gives you a problem, let us know. We can handle her."

Leon continued, "And since you all are also a part of the Restoration Committee, you guys have access to all the areas of Radiant Garden."

Yuffie nodded and walked past Sora, "I think it won't be a problem for any of us to get through. Just swipe that membership card we gave you to override all of the security codes."

"Sounds good," Sora nodded.

"We just have to watch out for that new town security patrol." Leon said, allowing Sora and the rest of his friends to file through so he was the last one in, before he shut the gate behind him. "If they're taking the job seriously, they could be tough."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we could take them on if we really needed to." Sora smiled.

"As certain as always, I see." A small smile grew on Leon's lips, "Not that we have any reason to doubt you."

Together - Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea, Merlin, Leon, Aerith and Yuffie made their way up a small ramped stone landing that led the way towards the castle. The castle seemed to rise and grow closer with every step they took.

"Come on now, the path is just up ahead." Merlin said, leading the group onwards towards the castle.

* * *

The sound of clashing metal continued as blades clashed yet again as Riku dreamed. The same battle played again and again everytime he slept. In his mind's eye, he always saw the dark cloaked figure, one that had shared Xehanort's eyes, in a fierce battle against him - a battle that had always concluded in Riku's death when his enemy's blade had impaled him.

Riku awoke again, shooting up from the bed, his body covered in sweat. He raised his hands to his warm face, his eyes wide and his breath escaping him. "Again..."

He decided he didn't need any more sleep - or rather, he didn't need any more of these nightmares - and he lifted himself off of the bed and walked out of the steeple. Once back in the endless realm of darkness, he looked to his left and just outside of the small building, Mickey was slouched over as he slept.

'Poor guy. He must be just as tired as I was. He stayed up all night looking out for me,' Riku moved closer to the King and smiled.

"You're a good friend, Mickey."

Mickey shuffled in his sleep then, as his face scrunched up. A moment later, he began moving around as he slept, breathless murmurs escaping him as he mumbled under his breath.

Riku tilted his head, realizing Mickey must have been dreaming...or rather, was stuck in the same realm of nightmares he himself had been experiencing. He watched as Mickey continued to move around in hi sleep, almost as if he was struggling.

"Mickey?" He reached out to his friend.

"I'm...sorry..." Mickey mumbled under his breath.

Riku remained still.

"...Aqua..."

Regardless of the deep sleep Mickey had been trapped in, Riku had tried to awaken the King to no avail. He gently shook his friend's shoulders, but Mickey would not awaken. He could assume that as long as whomever was dreaming within the realm of darkness, they could not be awakened until they themselves awoke from their own personal nightmares.

He would stay by the King's side until he awakened - regardless of how long it would take.

* * *

Sora, his friends and the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee arrived at the garden perimeter. The perimeter was the gardens at the center of the world that lied beneath the castle, fully surrounding it from all sides. The gardens were bountiful and full of colorful flowers, sparkling cascading fountains that fell from each of the landings leadng up to the castle and overgrown greenery that filled out the area with a landscape of trees and plants.

The overgrown vegetation had good purpose - it was not only a beautiful and radiant part of the town, albeit often kept secured from the regular townspeople, but the gardens also served as a barrier that obscured the industrial reactors and infrastructure that powered the castle and the town. The industrial reactors were lined with pipes and mechanical equipment that served to provide power for the world, as smoke spewed and puffed from the pipes.

Sora turned back to Lea, "So, if Elenar was in the Organization and she came back...the rest of the Organization members should be in town, too, right?"

"I guess so. Most of us had our hearts returned back to us around the same time." Lea spoke, "But if any of them had a good head on their shoulders, they'd take after Elenar and go into hiding, too."

The group walked up the stairway that led up through the different levels and led towards the castle gates. They walked under a large archway that led up to a large stairway that led to the courtyard in front of the castle's main entrance.

"I guess it would only be a matter of time before we run into the rest of the Organization members, too," Goofy surmised.

"Well, hopefully those big bullies are nicer now that they're not working with the Organization anymore," Donald continued.

"Well, most of them anyway." Lea said turning back to the team, "Now that Xehanort is in charge, Xemnas, Braig and Isa are still very much inter-woven into their 'master's' plans...and who knows what else he has planned for the other members?"

"Must be tough to be so closely tied to Xehanort and the Organization." Leon commented, "You always have to watch your back."

"I couldn't agree more." They heard a voice call out from behind them.

The team turned around and saw a man which none of them had recognized. The man was about the same age as Leon and Aerith, maybe a few months younger. From his shirt and pants, all the way down to his boots, he was entirely clad in black, which matched the same tone as his hair.

"Who are you?" Sora called out to the man, stepping in front of Kairi.

"Never seen the likes of you around these parts before," Lea said to the man, not recognizing him from his time there as a kid or when he was in the Organization.

"New to town, but...let's skip the formalities." The man said, before revealing two assassin's daggers from his utility belt.

"Whoa! You must be mistaking us for someone else!" Sora said to the man. "We're not here to cause any trouble!"

Kair continued, "Yeah, we just wan-"

"Enough talk." The man smirked and approached the Keyblade wielder. "You'll regret breaking into the castle."

"Wha- We're not...breaking in?" Donald said.

Goofy tilted his head, "Well, we did sneak in when the security patrol guys told Elenar to keep everyone out."

"Eh, whatever," Donald groaned.

"Wait, are you with the security patrol?" Sora questioned.

"Yes. And I'm going to protect the town from people like you." The man replied.

"But wait-"

Before Sora could continue, the man charged towards the Keyblade wielder. He anticipated the move from the anonymous attacker and leapt up into the air, spiraling over the mysterious man and landing on his feet behind him. Sora went to strike the man with his Keyblade, but the man raised his daggers up to block the blade from striking him down. Using all of his strength, the man used his daggers to fend off the blade and force Sora back.

The force from the man's defensive manuever caused Sora to fall and land flat on his back. The man slowly approached the Keyblade wielder.

"Sora, look out!" Goofy said, charging into the battle.

Donald followed behind him, "We're coming to help!" He raised his staff up into the air. "Blizzard!"

At that same moment, Goofy charged towards the man...but stepped in the way of Donald's spell, causing him to freeze in place.

The man paused in his steps and looked at the scene, confused, feeling as though these opponents were a simple match to take care of. He was essentially standing back and watching them sabotage each other.

"Oh, come on Goofy! Stop messing around!" Donald said, yelling at his friend.

"Donald, you messed up your own attack!" Sora said, yelling at the duck.

"I never mess anything up unlike you! I'm always healing you in battle from your mistakes!" The duck defended. He ran towards Sora to cast a healing spell on him, but at the same time, Goofy became unfrozen, charged forward and toppled over Donald and landing on Sora. The three of them laid there in a big pile for a moment.

"Let us pass." The man took his attention away from the three fighting friends and turned around to see Leon standing there, his sword drawn. Next to him, Yuffie stood with her shuriken, Aerith appeared with her metal staff and Merlin stood with his magical wand, ready to turn the man into a toad if need be.

"Hmph. Backups?" The man smirked and looked at the four. "I'd say we make this a fair fight then."

Leon, Aerith, Yuffie and Merlin watched as from behind them, three more men appeared, each of them ready for battle.

Yuffie looked at the three new comrades that joined the anonymous assailant. "Who the heck are you guys!?"

There was one man who had light brown hair that was spiked up at the front of his narrow face. The man had a pair of glasses on and wore a nice leather jacket on top of a button up shirt that was tucked into his pants. "Ignis."

Next to the man was another who was taller and more muscular than the others. He wore an open black short sleeved shirt with dark jeans. His long jet black hair push back behind his ears and stopped at his shoulders. "Name's Gladiolus."

The final man that appeared looked younger than the other two, probably around the same age as the man that had attacked Sora. He had light blonde hair that almost looked like a chocobo and wore a black vest with short sleeves. "Hey, I'm Prompto! It's nice to meet ya!" The man cheerfully smiled.

"Really, Prompto? Greeting the enemy with a warm welcome?" Gladiolus looked at his comrade with a raised eyebrow.

"He would much rather make friends with enemies than fight them," Ignis replied.

"Aw come on, guys! They don't look that mean!" Prompto replied, walking towards the Restoration Committee with a smile. "These look like some of the friendliest enemies we've seen! Much friendlier than those Heartless!"

"That's because we aren't enemies, you confounded nitwits!" Merlin yelled out, shaking his wand at the group.

"You're not?" Prompto tilted his head.

"No, we're not!" Aerith reprimanded them, "We're part of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee."

"Uh...oh, sorry, heh heh." Prompto shrugged and backed behind Gladiolus and Ignis.

"Aren't you members of the Organization the town has been spreading word about?" The man asked.

"Uh, no!" Yuffie defended.

"Believe me, if it was the Organization you were dealing with, they'd let you know it," Lea replied to the man.

"We're trying to stop the Organization!" Sora said, sitting up from under Donald and Goofy, "If you guys are the new town's security patrol, well...then we're on your side!"

"Seems like you picked the wrong fight, Noct," Gladiolus said, turning to his friend.

"Guess so. Though, it wasn't much of a fight." The man said looking down at Sora, Donald and Goofy still recuperating on the ground. "Are they going to be alright?"

Yuffie shrugged and waved him off, "They'll be alright. Besides, their heads are harder than a bag of bricks."

Aerith closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment and soon after a green mist flowed over Sora, Donald and Goofy, curing them. "There. That should help."

Donald and Goofy rose to their feet and brushed themselves off.

"Ye-ouch, that really hurt." Donald said, rubbing his backside.

"Sorry about that." The man said, turning to Sora to help him up off the ground. "No hard feelings?"

"It's okay." Sora waved off the man and smiled, "I'm Sora."

"Noctis." The man nodded at the Keyblade wielder.

"So, the four of you are the new security patrol the town's been talking about," Leon questioned the four men.

"Indeed." Ignis started, "We've only just started our work around town and we're still getting the feel of the lay of the land. Please excuse our inability to distinguish friend from foe."

"Well, it's a good thing they're not foes then!" Prompto cheered, "I have a feeling they'd be harder than the Heartless we took out in town."

"I don't know about that." Gladiolus smiled, "Those three over there seemed to do themselves in."

"Hey, don't let Donald's clumsiness fool you! We can hold our own!" Sora shot back.

"Hey, whaddya mean by that?" Donald looked at Sora with a raised eyebrow and a glare.

The group all shared a small laugh then, now that the mood had been lifted and they were able to move past the small skirmish that abruptly ensued at the courtyard of the castle.

Aerith turned to the four, "So, what convinced you all to take on the task as our new security patrol? The town's been searching for some people to fill the spots to keep an eye on the town."

"We have a lot of experience taking out enemies and getting a job done." Noctis looked at the group, "Before we arrived at this world, the four of us sort of had a reputation for being...'hunters', I guess. We did many jobs and favors people, not to mention taking out our fair share of pretty tough monters."

"Yepp! And not to mention, we succeeded in nearly every one of 'em!" Prompto cheered triumphantly, pumping his fist into the air.

"So, how did you all end up in this town then?" Merlin asked the men.

Prompto scratched the back of his head, "Uh...well, that would be why we...uh, succeeded in 'nearly' every one of our missions."

Noctis turned from Prompto to look at the others, "Our world was taken by darkness a short time ago and we were unable to stop it. Without anywhere to go, we ended up here...and you could guess the rest."

"Sorry to hear that." Yuffie responded, tilting her head.

Leon nodded, "But we're happy to have you here. The town could use a good patrol team to make sure everything in the town is fine."

"That's what we're here for," Gladiolus smiled at them.

Sora smiled at he four men, "And don't worry, after we defeat Xehanort, there might be a way to restore your world to the way it was."

"We can only hope," Prompto sighed.

"Until then, we'll just have to call Radiant Garden our home." Noctis smiled, "There have been worse places..."

"Noctis, Prompto, we have to patrol the west district. We should move out." Ignis said as he and Gladiolus started making their way to the steps that traveled down from the castle courtyard.

"Roger!" Prompto called out, running after his two comrades. "See ya later!"

"It was nice meeting you." Noctis said turning back to the group, "I'm sure our paths will cross again. Until then, we'll keep watch over the town." He said before leaving with the others.

"Hmm, seem like nice guys...when they're not trying to fight us," Sora said as he watched them walk away.

"They'll do a good job keeping the town safe," Leon said, before turning his attention back to the others. "We should get going."

"Yes! Come, everyone! The Secret Sanctum awaits!" Merlin said, walking across the courtyard to the main entrance of the castle. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea, Leon, Aerith and Yuffie followed him through.

The group briskly walked their way through the Grand Hall at the front of the castle. The hall features many wide windows along all sides of the large room, offering views of all corners of the world. They could only assume that Ansem the Wise often used this windows as a way to observe the outside world from his home. They quickly made their way through the intertwining castle hallways that were built almost like a maze.

As the group made their way through the hall, Merlin turned the Sora, "I constructed the Secret Sanctum when Leon had kept a close eye over the castle, making sure there were no other witnesses. Although all of us are the only ones that know of its' existence, we must keep caution and be careful with manuevering about."

"We can do that," Sora replied and followed the wizard.

The Merlin led the group down the halls, walking past the passage that led down to Ansem the Wise's study and continuing down. "Ever since your last visit here, we've continued making repairs through the town but the castle, as well. When the rubble and debris was cleared, we found other parts of the castle that we never knew about. The Secret Sanctum was built in one of these new chambers."

"So, this castle probably still has quite a few secrets to uncover," Sora said.

"Precisely." Merlin nodded, before leading the group down a dimly lit hall. The hall led to a large chamber, which Sora, Donald and Goofy recognized as the castle chapel, the same place where they had encountered and fought Maleficent. In Ansem's original incarnation of the castle, the room was used as a place for him to write and study his reports in secrecy, without the peering eyes of his apprentices staring over his shoulder. When Maleficent had taken over the castle, the chapel was turned into a lair of darkness for herself and her villainous accomplices.

But now, the chamber was restored back to what it used to be. Light was let in to the room from a large glass atrium above them all. The light reflected down onto the floor and illuminated the room in a brilliant glow.

Merlin called out to the friends, "Now come this way. The Secret Sanctum is located beneath this chamber." Merlin directed the group to an oval circle that was designed into the floor. The wizard passed his hand over the oval and magically revealed a small Keyhole design imprinted into the floor of the oval. "Sora, I have magically created this chamber to be protected by the power of your Keyblade - only your Keyblade will open the passage. Everyone gather around now."

The group all gathered towards the oval and looked on. With the power of Sora's Keyblade, he pointed the blade towards the Keyhole and a stream of light illuminated from within it. The light entered into the Keyhole, which caused a light to spread through the entire oval platform. The light was so bright, the whiteness made a few of them lift their hands over their eyes to shield their vision.

When the light faded, the oval platform had disappeared and in its' place, a stone circular staircase descended down through the bottom of the chamber. One by one, each of them followed Merlin down the spiraling stairs. After the last of them had entered, the oval platform re-appeared, not cluing anyone in to the whereabouts of the secret chamber.

"Wow!" Donald said as he entered the chamber.

The team all filed in and looked around the common room. Above them, large flickering lanterns illuminated the room. Cascading, red velvety curtains covered the stone walls and were tied back by ropes, framing the artistic portraits of foreign countrysides. At the wall ahead of them, a large flickering fireplace stood, a flickering fire place in its' hearn. In front of the fireplace was a large, comfortable-looking couch. The stone floor was covered in overlapping rugs of various textures and designs. In one corner of rooms was a cluster of cushioned chairs and a shelf of books found from all over the world, a wealth of information, legends and stories in each of them.

From the main room, a small alcove led to one of the towers of Radiant Garden. Walking in to the tower, they found seven beds for each of the princesses. Rugs scattered along the ground and lanters flickered along the walls. It seemed like a rather spacious and comfortable home for the princesses, something that they would be used to back from their own royal chambers back in their kingdom.

"Not too shabby, eh?" Merlin said looking at the team, "I think the princesses will find it quite comfortable."

Goofy looked around the chamber, "Gawrsh, so we'll gather all the princesses here until our Xehanort problem is taken care of."

"Except for me." Kairi said. She looked at the team, "It's my turn to fight, too. And I'm not letting Sora out of my sight."

Sora turned to her and smiled, "Right. We'll keep a close eye on her. We'll make sure nothing happens." He turned to Merlin and the others, "When we find each of the princesses, we'll bring them back here."

"Please do." Merlin nodded at them, "Once all seven of them have been gathered, they will not only be able to summon the power of Kingdom Hearts, their power will reveal the Key to Return Hearts - as Yen Sid tells me, a Keyblade vital for your quest to end the fates of all those who have suffered because of the machinations of Xehanort."

"And don't worry, we'll check in on the princesses here in-between the restoration of the town," Aerith smiled and nodded at the team. "We'll make sure they're protected."

"And with Merlin's help and magic, Xehanort or any of his loser flunkies won't find them so easily!" Yuffie nodded, optimistically.

"Let us know when you find them." Leon nodded, "We'll do what we can to help."

Sora smiled and looked at the four, "Thanks, guys! You've always been a big help ever since the start. Thanks for being there through everything, guys...all of you." He smiled at all of the friends in the room.

"Of course we're great friends!" Yuffie closed her eyes and smiled, "What did you expect?"

"We're all rooting for you, Sora." Aerith nodded and smiled, "We know that you have what it takes to fix all of this and return everything to the way it should be."

"It's like when we all met in Traverse Town." Leon said and looked at Sora, "You are the Keyblade wielder - it chose you. If anyone has the power to wield the light and defeat the darkness - Sora, it's you."

Sora smiled back at his friends.

The moment was soon interrupted when they felt a tremble shake through the castle then.

"What was that?" Donald questioned, looking around the chamber room.

"Something's attacking the castle!" Leon said, rushing from the chamber with his gunblade in hand. The team followed Leon out of the chamber and ran from the trembling castle in search of the intruder.

* * *

At the den of Maleficent's fallen headquarters, the Villain's Vale, Maleficent and her group of villainous friends had planned on gathering to discuss the next phases in the plans that had been developing since their meeting the evening before.

Cruella sauntered into the den, a half-empty glass of gin in her hand. She drowsily sipped the strong drink and sprawled herself down on one of the long leather cushioned seats kept in the hall. Having just arrived at the fallen castle, the morning daylight had only irritated Cruella's strong hangover and, as a means of lessening the effect the drowsiness had on her body, she decided to fight her hangover by opening the bottle of gin she kept hidden on her as a means of using the alcohol to fight off the pain.

She lounged back and placed a red-gloved hand over forehead. She turned her head to the side, seeing the morning sunlight glare through the opening of the large castle door.

She groaned out, "Another dreadful morning." She raised the glass to her mouth then but was stopped then when her hand was caught by a hook. She turned her attention to the pirate that had snuck up on her.

"Drinking on the job, lass? Bad form, if I've ever seen it." Hook released the woman's hand.

"Good morning to you, too, Captain." Cruelle smirked, tilting the glass back, savoring the remnants of gin that were left. She flashed him a drunken flirtatious smile, "And now that you're here, it's a good morning for me, too."

Hook smiled at the new comrade and extended out his hand, "Another, Ms. De Vil?"

She flashed a smile and reached into her cleavage to grab the hidden bottle of gin, "Oh, darling, we can skip the formailities - it doesn't suit a girl like me. You can call me Ella or Cruel or, oh, with a face like that, whatever you want, darling."

The pirate finished pouring her drink, which the woman happily took, sipping generously. She sat up and placed one of her hands on the man's shoulder, playing with the padding of his pirate coat. She stumbled over her first few words, the alcohol in her system kicking in. "N-now Captain, tell me, what's your real name? It certainly can't be Hook, darling. Life would just be too ironic."

"It's not. That was a name the Lost Boys in Neverland gave after that bloody Pan gave me hand to that blasted crocodile." Hook grimaced thinking about the events, but smiled and bowed his head to Cruella. "My real name is James."

"Ohh James!" Cruella moaned, trailing her fingers down his arms, "Such a strong, manly name for such a strong, manly man. I could only dream of the many adventures you've been on. You'll have to tell me of them over a drink sometime."

"Yes, I'd like that,"

"How about right now?" Cruella pressed herself up against the man, "Certainly you don't believe a little drink on the job won't hurt anyone and even if it does, trust me, mommy can make you feel all better." Cruella pouted.

Hook grinned and raised his eyebrow, before reaching into his coat to pull out a flask of rum.

"That's more like it." Cruella smiled, as she tapped the edge of her martini glass against his flask. The two both took a sip from their drinks. Cruella groaned out and stood from the couch, "Oh James, such a bad boy - skirting on your duties to drink with little, old me?" She laughed and straightened her form over his, "And the thing that that every bad boy needs...," she pushed him onto the couch then and brought her face dangerously close to his, "...is a bad girl to share in the fun."

Hook backed up against the seat, "But Cruella, we should get to know each other. We've only jus-"

"Enough talk." She finished off the rest of her gin and tossed the glass to the floor where it shattered. She straddled his leg then. "Now, which would you like to have first - more rum...or me?"

There was a snap that came from the door of the hall and suddenly, the many candleabras throughout lit with the bright fire of each of them.

Hades stepped in then, closely followed behind by Maleficent. "You know, as the Lord of the Dead, I've seen some terrifying things in my immortal life - but that was more terrifying than most of them."

"Oh, shove off!" Cruella angrily retreated from Hook then when she saw the two. She adjusted her dress and turned back to Hook, "So sorry, Jimmy. We'll have to pick up we're we left off in a place more private."

Maleficent spoke without emotion, "Oh, how warming it is to see the members of our little group getting to know one another better - though I thought I said relations were troublesome."

"Oh, who said anything about relations, darling?" Cruella defended and sauntered towards the other woman, "Can't a girl have some fun?"

"Yes, but do so with caution." Maleficent walked to the table at the center of the den, "Relations involved with work is a messy business, not like any of us could ever know what love truly felt like either way."

Maleficent called the others up to the table and changed the subject matter, not wanting to dwell on the topic or step on any of her companions' toes. "Now - this meeting has been called to inform you all of our next action plan. With Pete searching the worlds for new allies, we musn't refrain from carrying out our next tasks at hand."

"Stealing the data from the Keyblade wielders' journals?" Hook asked.

"Precisely. With the worlds' data in our hands, we will be able to control the worlds themselves. "Maleficent waved her hand over the table then and an image of a castle appeared before then. "The journals reside in the library of Disney Castle - where the royal subjects watch over it with care. As Pete and I had scene once before, a sort of...'contraption'...was used to control and analyze the data found within."

"And that's what we need - the journals and that contraption." Hades finished.

"Should be no problem at all," Cruella added.

"When you all arrive there with Pete, it is certain that those heroes and that petulant, little Queen Minnie will try to stop us with their annoying speeches of light and heroism - we must not accept defeat." Maleficent directed her team.

"And you won't be joining us?" Hook questioned.

"No. I once tried to take over that very castle until Sora and those heroes restored their cherished 'Cornerstone of Light' when they had traveled through the past." Maleficent summoned an image of the Cornerstone of Light then. "Ever since, my darkness has been expelled from that forsaken kingdom."

"Buuut..." Hades began with a smirk, "...if we destroy that thing, we can flood that place with darkness and take the castle for ourselves."

"Do as you wish. All we require is the journals and the data extractor." Maleficent bowed her head to her comrades, "While you are invading the castle, I will be taking care of other matters that will attribute to our cause."

The sound of the large entrance door to the castle echoed through the empty halls of the fallen castle. The four villains turned their head to the sound of the approaching footsteps that grew closer to the den. Moments later, Pete pushed open the large doors.

"Oh boy, couldn't wait for me to return now, could ya?" Pete replied with mock hurt in his voice.

"What news do you have?" Maleficent ignored her cohort's feelings, as she always had done. Although Pete had worked under Maleficent for years, the two of them had never managed to develop a fondness for one another.

"I got big news for ya, Maleficent" Pete let out a boisterous laugh, "Someone new to the team! When he told me that he was in the mood for destroyin' some 'happily ever afters', I knew he'd be a perfect fit for ya."

"Well?" Maleficent eyed Pete, curiously. "Where is he? Where is this 'perfect fit'?"

"You can come in now!" Pete called out in a sing-song tone. The figure's heavy boots echoed as he walked into the room, bow and arrow strapped to his back - a rugged and defeated look on his face. "Well, go on then - introduce yourself."

The built man spoke, "I'm a hunter - my name's Gaston."

* * *

The team ran down one of the halls and arrived at the Castle Postern, a small balcony located towards the base of the castle that was built into the side of a mountain that trailed back down into the gardens that led back into the town. Once they arrived at the large circular landing, the group had come across a large Heartless, unlike any they'd ever seen.

The Heartless was like a dark cloud, masking its' true figure, but the outside of the Heartless was made up of the various materials that were used around town for the reconstruction purposes. The Heartless almost looked like a twister with planks of wood, bricks, bags of cement and gravel flying within its' form.

"What the heck is that?" Yuffie said, while taking in the appearance of the Heartless. "I get we're trying to restore the town but we don't need the help from the Heartless."

The creature led out a loud roar before it lunged up towards the side of the castle, tearing bits and pieces from the ancient building, sending them crumbling to the floor.

"That explains what those trembles were." Leon said, looking up at the creature, "It's threatening the structure of the castle!"

"Let's stop it!" Sora said before running into battle. He ran towards the creature, expertly dodging out of the way as a pile of bricks flew towards him. He rolled up towards the creature and striked down on it with his Keyblade. He only managed to land a small combo before he was sucked into the dark cloud of the Heartless figure before he was spat back out, flying to the floor.

"Sora!" Aerith called out to him, before casting a healing spell on him.

Donald charged into battle, "Wak! You silly Heartless!" He cast a freezing spell at the Heartless, but it seemed the creature was compeletely immune to magic, as his spell was completely dissolved into the dark cloud, not stunning the Heartless one bit. Donald stomped his foot and glared at the monster, "Stop doing that!"

Goofy charged towards the monster with shield in hand, but when he got close enough to the monster, his shield was sucked into the dark cloud. He ducked just in time, his eyes wideneing as his shield boomeranged back towards him.

Kairi and Lea joined the battle. Kairi worked in tandem with Sora trying to bring down the core of this Heartless. Lea stood in the far end of the poster, shooting balls of fire from his Keyblade into the cloud. Again, the balls seemed to be dissolved right into the cloud of darkness.

Leon, Aerith and Yuffie then jumped into battle after Sora. As the Keyblade wielder slashed through the cloud, Leon jumped overhead and brought his blade town through the middle of the Heartless. As Sora and Leon worked together to stike down the core of the Heartless, there was a moment where the dark cloud seemed to explode before a sea of shadow Heartless exploded from within, dropping all of the town's restoration equipment to the ground.

Once the Heartless' 'cloud shield' was taken care of, Sora and the others went to work taking care of the overwhelming amount of shadows that flooded the postern.

Aerith jumped into battle, twirling her staff above her head and skillfully manuevering it around her, taking out a dozen shadows in a single move. Yuffie's shuriken shot across the balcony like a boomerang, tearing through each of the shadows before making its' way back to her. Leon slashed and cut through the Heartless,vthe shadows dissolving into black clouds.

As Sora slashed through the Heartless, as some were vanquished, even more appeared.

"Why does this always happen," Donald said, stomping his feet impatiently.

"It never ends," Goofy sighed.

As the battle continued, all of the shadows then froze and directed their attention towards one spot. Sora tilted his head in confusion, "Huh?"

All the shadows seemed to stare past them, as if trying to listen to something. They blinked and tilted their heads, stopping the battle with the enemies they were just fighting.

Sora looked behind him to spot what all the Heartless were staring at. He was half-expecting to see an even larger, more ferocious Heartless waiting there - but what he saw was a tiny shadow, somewhat smaller than the others with a crooked antenna. "What?"

The shadow twitched its' antenna and looked at the group.

"It's Spooky!" Goofy said.

"Ohhhh, that silly Heartless!" Donald glared at the shadow, murmuring something in gibberish, "I knew I had forgotten something this morning! How did you escape from your jar!? Master Yen Sid put you in there and you shouldn't be let out!" He reprimanded the shadow.

Spooky shrugged and moved his head back and forth, as if trying to taunt the duck.

A moment later, all the shadows crawled forward, moving beyond the team without a moment to spare, sending the Heartless away and down the mountain trail that led away from the town. Spooky waved them off as they left the scene.

Sora dismissed his Keyblade and slowly approached the shadow. He knelt down in front of it, "You helped us out?"

The shadow's single working antenna twitched and he enthusiastically nodded.

Sora smiled, "Thank you." He recalled back to earlier in the morning, they had encountered another group of shadows there and like now, they left the team without putting up a fight then, too. "You've been keeping an eye on us ever since we came here, haven't you? You've been helping us out."

The shadow nodded again, seeming to understand everything Sora was saying, but more fascinatingly, seemed to be respecting him more than anything.

"When did you take in a Heartless? Why?" Leon turned to the others.

"It was injured," Lea shrugged with a smile.

Donald's eyelids lowered and he glared at Goofy, "Some of us are too nice for our own good..."

"Aw, c'mon, Donald. Spooky isn't so bad," Goofy re-assured.

"Spooky?" Aerith tried suppressing her giggle with her hand, "Where did you come up with a name like that?"

"Just look at him!" Donald defended, "He looks...spooky!"

"I think he looks kinda cute." Yuffie said blandly, as Kairi turned to her with a smile - she had said the same thing earlier.

Donald spewed out a bunch of vitriol in his duckish gibberish, before he stomped his foot down. "I don't understand it!"

"Aw, Donald, he did help protect us and the castle. Spooky's not a bad guy," Goofy re-assured.

"Good work, Spooky." Sora said down to the tiny shadow. He cautiously placed his hand forward towards the shadow. He hesitated for a moment whe he saw the shadow move it's head forward, as if smelling Sora's scent. The shadow examined Sora's gesture and paused for a moment, before he brought his head forward and rubbed it against Sora's hand, almost like a new puppy would do to its' owner. It wiggled its' one antenna happily.

Sora smiled down at it, "You wanna come with us?"

Spooky nodded happily, before crawling it's way up Sora's arm and perching itself up onto his shoulder.

"NO!" Donald shouted as he ran towards his friend, taking the shadow off his arm and placing it back down on the ground, "Master Yen Sid said we're setting it free, so we're setting it free!"

"Donald!" Sora yelled out.

"Forget it!" Donald pushed the shadow away from them, "Bye, Spooky! Ya did good but it's time for us to go! So long! Take care! Come on, guys!" The duck started leading them away.

"Uh-" Sora watched as Donald began walking away. He turned back to Spooky and saw a forlorn expression on the shadow's face, as it lowered its' head and its' antenna drooped down to its' sides. Sora frowned at the Heartless, looking like it was like a sad puppy.

"But Donald, he's not bad!" Goofy said.

"He's a stinkin' Heartless." Donald said, putting his foot down, "We're letting him go - stupid, stinkin' Heartless!"

"Who's the Heartless one, now?" Sora glared at Donald.

"Burn." Lea said, watching the scene unfold.

Donald huffed up and crossed his arms, an exasperated expression on his face. "Fine! Do whatever you want, but when that thing steals your heart, don't blame me!"

Sora turned back to the shadow with a smile, motioning for it to come to him. Spooky happily bounced back and forth before it jumped up into Sora's open hands. He lifted the shadow up as the creature circled around Sora's shoulder and sat himself back down again.

Sora placed a helping hand on Spooky's back, keeping him secure. He smiled at the shadow, "You really aren't like other Heartless, are you?"

Spooky shook his head then and cradled himself against Sora's neck.

Leon, Aerith, Yuffie and Merlin approached the friends then.

"I suppose you'll be on your way then," Leon nodded his head at them.

"Yepp, we have to rescue the princesses and keep them safe before Xehanort gets involved," Sora explained.

Merlin turned to them, "Where are you off to now?"

"Hmm, we don't know yet. We'll have to find the princesses out there in their worlds or wherever they are. It might take some time," Sora said.

"Well, don't rush off too quick." Leon said, "Make sure you're prepared. You should take a look around the market and get some items and equipment that might help you out along your journey."

Sora nodded his head, "Yeah, we might hang around a bit longer. We might try to get some more rest before we head out, it'll be a long journey."

"Well, let us know if we can do anything to help. Keep an eye out for yourself and each other," Aerith smiled at them.

Yuffie cheered in a sing-song voice, "Hope you find good treasures along the way!"

"Don't do anything too reckless!" Merlin bowed his head and smiled at them, "We're all counting on you!"

"Don't worry, we'll be back soon!" Sora turned to them with a smile. "We'll see you guys in a little bit when we come back! Keep up your work around town!" He and his friends turned from the Restoration Committee then.

Leon smiled to himself.

Yuffie looked up from the group and turned to her friend, "What? What is it?"

"Nothin'." He let out a small chuckle, "Just...if anyone is ready for the adventure ahead of them, then it's Sora."

Leon, Aerith, Yuffie and Merlin turned away from the team then and made their way back into the castle to continue their studying and research for the reconstruction of the town.

Together - Donald, Goofy, Lea, Kairi and Sora with Spooky on his shoulder, smiled as they walked down the mountain path that led back towards the town, smiles on their faces as they anticipated the adventures ahead of them.

Lea stopped then when he heard the sound of something light clatter against the ground. As the others continued their walk ahead of him, he looked down at the ground and his eyes widened.

There, on the ground, by his feet - he saw an ice cream stick with the word 'WINNER' on it.

He quickly bent down and picked up the stick, examining it closely. He remembered the many days he spent at this same castle - the days where he and his former best friend would sneak in and enjoy a sea-salt ice cream bar with the view. He remembered the promise they made to collect these sticks to use as a reminder of their friendship - the friendship that was ruined.

He looked at his surroundings. Nothing - but he could sense an unseen pair of eyes watching him.

"...Isa?"

There was no response.

Lea took the ice cream stick and placed it into his pocket, knowing that, regardless of if he wanted to or not, he was going to come face to face with his former best friend soon enough and unfinished business was certainly going to be settled.

And when it was, it wasn't going to be pretty.

* * *

Mickey tossed and turned in his sleep as Riku watched over him. The King's face scrunched up in sadness and pain as a nightmare of his memories flashed through his mind.

As Mickey dreamt, his memories of his time in the realm of darkness with Aqua flashed through his mind.

* * *

 _In the Mysterious Tower, Mickey stood in front of Master Yen Sid's desk, watching as the old wizard rose from his seat to address his apprentice._

 _"Mickey, today, you have a very important task ahead of you - to venture through the realm of darkness to find the legendary Kingdom Key D - the opposite key born from the darkness, used to help the Keyblade's chosen one seal the door to Kingdom Hearts. As a Keyblade Master and having been my apprentice for many years, I have seen the strong heart you possess and am certain that you can accomplish this."_

 _"Thank you, Master." Mickey nodded, humbled. "Tell me more about this Kingdom Key D."_

 _"It is a legendary key - one of two, in fact. One Keyblade born from the realm of light, while the other, born from the realm of darkness - but both are needed to protect the realm of Kingdom Hearts. The door to Kingdom Hearts...tied by two keys."_

 _Mickey nodded, "The Kingdom Key D is the keyblade from the realm of darkness and has the power to protect Kingdom Hearts from within it. The door...tied by two keys...?"_

 _"Precisely." Yen Sid nodded, "Finding that Keyblade and working alongside the Keyblade's chosen wielder must be done to protect the worlds from falling to the darkness."_

 _"I won't fail you, Master Yen Sid. I promise."_

* * *

Another memory flashed through Mickey's dream then.

* * *

 _Mickey watched from the quiet rooftops over the buildings in Traverse Town, looking down into the Third District. He watched as his loyal companions Donald and Goofy met with the newfound Keyblade wielder - ensuring that the three of them would work together on the mission at hand of defeating the Heartless and protecting the worlds._

 _"Donald Duck." Donald placed his hand forward._

 _"Name's Goofy." Goofy placed his hand on top of Donald's._

 _"And I'm Sora." Sora placed his hands on top of theirs._

 _"All for one and one for all!"_

 _Mickey watched with content as his two friends became acquainted with the Keyblade wielder and ran their way off to the First District, followed by Leon, Aerith and Yuffie. Now that the Third District was clear and the King had ensured that his friends were with the Keyblade wielder, his next task would begin - venturing into the realm of darkness to find the Kingdom Key D and seal the door._

 _He quickly made his way to the Second District, not a single Heartless in sight after Sora, Donald and Goofy had defeated most of them._

 _'A passage into the realm of darkness appears in the worlds in the realm in-between only when a world falls to the darkness,' Mickey thought. Little did he know, the world this new Keyblade wielder had come from, the Destiny Islands, had just fallen to darkness moments before._

 _Once in the Second District, he closed his eyes to focus for a brief moment and then before him, a corridor of darkness materialized. Mickey had heard about these 'dark passages' from his Master. They were pathways between worlds, clouded by darkness, tempting those who had used these channels to dwell further into the darkness. By using these channels, the darkness would affect the heart in unknown and mysterious capacities, so Mickey knew he had to travel through quick._

 _Without another moment to spare, Mickey stepped through the dark portal and dived into the realm of darkness._

 _Mickey had spent many days...weeks...roaming through the realm of darkness, fighting his way through the Heartless and dark shadows that appeared. He recalled the countless battles, the slashing and tearing of his StarSeeker Keyblade as it tore through the darkness. His eyes grew tired, as he endlessly searched through the darkness to find the mysterious Kingdom Key D Keyblade - to no avail._

 _"I must find the Kingdom Key D and seal the door!" Mickey's voice echoed through the darkness._

* * *

Riku's eyes grew wide as the body of his friend began shaking. "Mickey! Wake up!"

"Must...find...King...dom..." Mickey whispered between breaths.

"Mickey! Snap out of it! It's a nightmare!" Riku cried out, placing his hands on his friend's shoulders.

* * *

 _Aqua unconsciously floated through the realm of darkness, drifting through the vast sea of space. 'Now...I can be one with darkness...' she thought, as her grasp loosened around her Wayfinder before she let it go._

 _The blue Wayfinder drifted through space for just a moment before it landed in the gloved-hand of the King._

 _"Aqua, are you okay?" Mickey said, floating forward and placing the Wayfinder back in Aqua's hand._

 _Aqua slowly opened her eyes and upon seeing the familiar face, a small smile stretched across her features. It was the first form of companionship she had found in this realm in years and her heart warmed._

 _Mickey took Aqua by the hand and floated downward, back towards the stone ground of the realm of darkness, where he and Aqua regained their footing on the ground._

 _Aqua looked down at the King in wonder, the Wayfinder still in her hand, "Mickey? How did-" Then, realization hit her, as she had just been having an illusionary vision of her best friends, "Terra! Ven!"_

 _Mickey looked upwards, a determined look on his face as he sensed the approaching darkness closing in on them, "No time to talk!" Mickey and Aqua summoned their Keyblades as they saw the plume of dark shadows emerge from the earth in a wild, threatening manner._

 _"Dwellers of darkness..." Aqua examined._

 _"They're called Heartless," Mickey said, before the two lunged into battle, fighting off the shadows._

 _Mickey and Aqua sliced through the violent pillar of shadows. The blue-haired mage leapt into the air and brought her Keyblade hard down upon the dark creatures, before they scattered about and fled the area. The two took a moment to recover from the aftermath of the battle._

 _"Better not push our luck," Mickey said, summoning his Keyblade away. "Gosh, I never thought I'd find ya in the realm of darkness, that's for sure. So, um, what happened?"_

 _Aqua's eyes lowered, "Have you seen Terra or Ven?"_

 _Mickey tilted his head, "No, just you."_

 _She let out a sigh in sadness, raising her hand to her heart. "I'm sorry. The darkness in this place, it's getting to me."_

 _Mickey lowered his head in sadness, "Oh." The King tried to raise Aqua's spirits then, knowing that maybe a friend is what she needed most to get her through this difficult time, "But you'll be okay."_

 _"Right," Aqua whispered out, a sense of hopelessness rising within her for the countless time within the dark realm._

 _"Say, we've been looking for ya a long time. How come you're in this place?" Mickey asked._

 _Aqua turned from him, "First tell me, how long has it been in the realm of light?" She waited in silence for the King to answer._

 _"About...ten years." He lowered his head._

 _Aqua looked up into the endless darkness above, "Interesting. After we last spoke, I took Ven somewhere safe, and then I went after Terra." She took out her Wayfinder from her sleeve and lifted it up towards the air, examining it closely. "But Terra was about to fall to darkness, I had one choice. I stayed here in hopes of giving him a chance."_

 _Mickey lowered his head in sadness, "I...didn't know."_

 _She put her charm away and turned back to the King, "How 'bout you? What could've brought you here? Has something happened? In the realm of light?"_

 _His eyebrows furrowed in concern, "It's the Heartless. They've been attacking worlds and taking their hearts. And worlds with no hearts vanish into darkness. But if we can lock the door between the two realms - light and dark - from both sides, we can protect the other worlds. So ya see, I came here to find the key on this side. Turns out, it's not so easy getting into the realm of darkness. The points you can cross have become unstable. It's only when a world gets consumed, that an entrance appears in the realm between. So, I waited for my chance...to sneak in."_

 _Mickey took Aqua's hand and lifted it up as the two of them looked down towards her Wayfinder, "But hey, when I got here, I felt a warm, familiar light. I followed it to find my way...to you."_

 _"The charm," Aqua examined. "So they were helping. Terra and Ven brought you and I back together again."_

 _"Yeah," Mickey nodded._

 _"But the worlds are still in danger," Aqua thought out. "Terra - did he make it back to the realm of light?"_

 _"We still haven't found him," Mickey lowered his head._

 _"I see. Well, wherever he is, he's fighting. He'll beat his darkness...and I know, he wants me to fight, too."_

 _Mickey smiled and nodded, "I think you're right. He'll be just fine."_

 _Aqua rose to her feet then, "Yes, but what about Ven? He won't wake up unless I'm there with him. I have to go. I have to find a way back to the realm of light."_

 _"Good. Then, let's locate that key and go home together!" the King exclaimed._

 _"Does that mean you know an exit?"_

 _Mickey scratched his head, "Well, uh, I was so busy finding a way in, that I didn't give a thought to where there'd be a way out. But, together, we're sure to find one!"_

 _Aqua let out a small chuckle because of the King's optimism, "You haven't changed at all."_

 _Mickey shared a small laugh before turning to look upwards towards the dark realm above._

 _"May our hearts be our guiding key."_

 _"There's a phrase no one's used in ages," Aqua mused, stepping beside the King._

 _"Keyblade wielders used to say those words to each other. And now, it's something I like to try and remember." He turned to his friend, "So, ready?"_

 _Aqua smiled and took Mickey's hand, "Ready."_

* * *

"I'm...sorry, Aqua..." Mickey mumbled out.

* * *

 _Aqua and Mickey had endlessly drifted through the realm of darkness, fighting battle after battle against the shadows that threatened to snuff out their light. Their unwavering search for an escape from the dark world led them to the corrupted and destroyed remnants of a small island, the sand beach cracked and ruined from the affect of the darkness. It was the same world that had fallen to the darkness that granted Mickey passage into the realm of darkness from Traverse Town. It was the island home of both Sora and Riku, an island Aqua herself had visited once before._

 _Aqua stood on the edge of the broken beach, "This is...where I met those children."_

 _"So many worlds have been lost. And now, they're trapped here in the dark," Mickey said, looking out into the endless dark ocean that stretched before them. "Wait - you know this place, Aqua?"_

 _"Yes, I visited once - and I met two boys I considered passing the Keyblade on to. But because Terra had already given one of them the power, I didn't."_

 _Mickey turned to Aqua in curiosity, "Aqua, what were the boys' names?"_

 _She thought for a moment, "They were...Sora and Riku."_

 _Mickey's eyes furrowed in thought, "I see. We're getting warm."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _Mickey looked around to ensure there was no wandering darkness or other listeners to hear the information he was about to pass onto the young woman. "Well, it's Sora and Riku who've been helping me. We're tryin' to get that door shut for good."_

 _Aqua's eyes widened in surprise, "The same boys?"_

 _The King nodded, "Aqua, if this is where my friends first got the Keyblade, it also must be where we'll find its' counterpart. The Keyblade of darkness has gotta be here on the dark side of their world."_

 _A huge tremble shook the destroyed beach then, as the two gasped out in shock, preparing for the oncoming onslaught of darkness._

 _"We'll have to hurry! C'mon!" Mickey shot down the beach and towards a grove of clustered green leaves and bushes that seemed to shroud a secret cavern that led into the core of the island._

 _As soon as the two had reached the secret entrance, a plume of hundreds of shadows blasted forth and swarmed the islands in their darkness. Aqua and Mickey expertly leapt out of the way, watching the dark creatures swarming above. Mickey and Aqua charged into battle, fighting off the hundreds of shadows that swarmed the island in an endless battle against the darkness._

 _Mickey pointed to the entrance, "Let's keep going."_

 _Aqua nodded and followed the King into the secret cavern._

 _Once inside, the two found their way into the small secret cavern, where they found different pictures scribbled and drawn on the rock walls. Ahead of them, a large oval brown door stood, framed in gold. The two approached the door._

 _"I bet it's in here," the King said, moving towards the door. With Aqua's help, the two pushed along the heavy wood and the door slowly opened to reveal a large, empty dark room at the core of the island._

 _But at the center of this room behind the door - the Kingdom Key D floated majestically in the darkness. It was a Keyblade that, although identical to Sora's, was the opposite. It featured a golden blade with a silver handle and was a blade born from the dark realm, itself._

 _"There." The two approached the floating Keyblade._

 _"Is that what you're after," the blue-haired mage questioned._

 _Mickey walked up to the blade, "Yep, it's just the key I was looking for. A Keyblade from the dark realm!"_

 _"A Keyblade of darkness," Aqua said._

 _Mickey took hold of the radiant Keyblade within his grasps, "The door of darkness...tied by two keys. The door of darkness...to seal the light." Mickey rose the Keyblade into the air. "Welp, we've got the keys. Now, we find the ones to close the door."_

 _"Sorry?" Aqua asked, confused._

 _Mickey turned back to her, "The door between two realms - it won't let a heart with light pass through. So only darkness keeps spilling out. We can lock the door by using the two Keyblades, but we need help on both sides to get the door shut."_

 _Aqua nodded, "Well, then, since you'll be doing the locking, let me be the one to close the door."_

 _Mickey shook his head, "Sorry, but the job's taken...by somebody else."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _Another huge tremble shook the island then, as the two struggled to keep their footing. Mickey turned once he sensed something, but then, out of the darkness, a brilliant light appeared, causing the two to shield their eyes._

 _Mickey sensed that Riku was near._

* * *

 _"_ Mickey, please! You have to wake up!" Riku pleaded, "The darkness is near! Snap out of it!"

"Must...find...Aqua..."

* * *

 _When the light had faded, Mickey and Aqua had found themselves transported even deeper into the realm of darkness - to the very core of the darkness. Mickey and Aqua took a few steps within the new setting before spotting the tall door. The door was huge and fully white, with two small diamond-shaped stainged glass windows filled with many colors. The door was slightly opened._

 _"Is that the one," Aqua asked._

 _"Yep, the door to Kingdom Hearts." Mickey turned to his friend, "Welp, it's not the Kingdom Hearts you know. Not exactly. But even though it's smaller, it's still the heart of many worlds. And even if it's not a complete Kingdom Hearts, we definitely can't leave it open like this, or darkness will escape and destroy the remaining worlds."_

 _Mickey summoned the Kingdom Key D to his hand, "It's time. With this key and Sora's in the realm of light, we're gonna close this door. Now, all we need is Riku."_

 _Aqua looked down, thinking of all the events that most have transpired while she was trapped here. How those two boys on the island must have grown up now and were playing a part in protecting the worlds._

 _Even that which was once innocent and untouched by Xehanort's wrath was now caught in the battle between light and darkness, "Sora...Riku..."_

 _"There!" Mickey said._

 _Aqua was taken from her thoughts then, when the two spotted Riku running through the dark void towards the door. The two quickly charged after him._

 _"That's everybody! Come on, Aqua-"_

 _Before the two could take a step further, another plume of darkness shot from within the core of the realm, sending a swarm og spiraling shadows through the cavernous space. Mickey and Aqua watched as the shadows expanded and rapidly spread around them._

 _"Oh no!" Mickey shouted, watching as the shadows fled towards Riku and the opened door to Kingdom Hearts. The two quickly raced after them, summoning their Keyblades into battle to fight._

 _Aqua leapt up towards the swarming shadows and, from within her Keyblade, cast a spell that spread chains around the many Heartless. The golden chains materialized from within the Keyblade and trapped the shadows in a large orb. "Back off!" She struggled to keep the orb from exploding open and releasing the darkness as the King rushed after Riku._

 _Mickey looked back at the struggling Keyblade Master, "Aqua!"_

 _"Go without me!" She continued struggling, keeping the darkness only temporarily at bay._

 _Mickey shook his head, "No, I-"_

 _Then, the darkness exploded free from Aqua's chains and flooded the area, swarming around the young woman. The shadows and wandering darkness shot through the area and headed straight towards Aqua. It lifted Aqua up into the air, carrying her along with the darkness._

 _Mickey recovered from the burst of shadows, watching as his friend was carried away by the darkness. "Aqua!"_

 _All he could do was watch as Aqua was forced by the shadows and wandering darkness through the very same door that was found in the secret place on the islands. The door them illuminated and dissolved, leaving no trace behind, no shadows, no Aqua - nothing._

 _It was the last time the King had seen Aqua._

* * *

 _Images flashed through Mickey's mind as he soared through the realm of darkness with the Kingdom Key D. The next thing he saw was Sora, Donald and Goofy struggling alongside Riku to close the door to Kingdom Hearts. In his mind, he then saw an image of Sora and himself use their opposite Keyblades to seal the door from the two opposite sides of light and darkness._

 _"Now Sora, let's close this door for good."_

 _Images from his memories in the realm of darkness flashed through his mind, one by one, until..._

* * *

"Mickey, wake up! Wake up!" Riku shouted at Mickey, rapidly shaking his shoulders.

Mickey suddenly opened his eyes then, snapping out of his dream and seeing Riku above him in the realm of darkness. "Riku? Wh-what happened?"

"We don't have time for that!" Riku took Mickey by the shoulders and duck and rolled out of the way, as a huge fist slammed down in the spot he was just resting. The fist went straight down into the steeple tower, destroying the building in a single swift motion.

When the two recovered, Mickey looked over Riku's shoulders to see a familiar Heartless creature emanating from within the darkness.

"Darkside!" Mickey cried out, spotting the same figure that had once before attacked him on those distant islands where he had fought alongside Aqua.

"It appeared when you were asleep," Riku said before quickly summoning the Keyblade. "Let's go!"

Mickey summoned the Kingdom Key D and sprinted up towards the Darkside. Spotting Riku slashing at the demon's feet, Mickey leaped up into the air, landing on the creature's arm and sprinted his way up towards Darkside's head. He jumped into the air and brought his blade directly down onto the demon's head. After Darkside sensed the intruder, he shook his head back and forth, dropping Mickey back to the earth.

Riku slashed at the monster's feet before the creature lowered himself down, beams of dark energy beginning to appear in the empty heart-shaped space in the middle of its' stomach. "Mickey, look out!"

Riku jumped in front of Mickey just in time to block the oncoming dark energy with his blade, propelling the beams of dark power away and into the unknown abyss. After Darkside's attack had finished, Riku jumped up in the air and continued to strike down the monster. He was suddenly thrown off from his attacks when the creature suddenly reached down into the ground, summoning a pool of darkness from within the floor. With his arms reaching deep into the pool of dark power, Darkside lifted a huge dark orb emanating with surges of electricity that came powered from within. The energy seemed to surge through the entire creature.

"Mickey, we have to stop that thing before it attacks," Riku cried out.

"Got it!"

The two Keyblade Masters slashed endlessly as the monster, feeling the power of the dark orb and the Darkside almost become one. Darkside's hands began to shake and tremble as he readied his attack. The creature was about to unlesh the dark power into the air, when Mickey dealt one final critical blow to the monster's face. The creature reeled for a moment, the dark orb dissipating from its' grasps. A dark fog seemed to come from the defeated Darkside as it toppled in on itself and vanished without a trace.

The two took a moment to catch their breath after the battle.

"Good work, Riku." Mickey turned to his friend, as the two begin trekking down the path again - they continued their resolve to find Aqua.

"Don't mention it," Riku sighed, feeling the ache in his feet as he continued to walk, "I think I'll be okay going without sleep for some time."

"Yeah...me too." Mickey frowned, thinking back to the dreams of his memories. "It was terrible...just like before. I dreamt about my time here in the realm of darkness...with Aqua. How we were separated right before we closed the door."

Riku nodded and lowered his head, "It's been long enough. We have to find her. We have to make sure she escaped this time."

Mickey nodded, determined, "I will."

There was a few minutes of silence between the two friends, but for all they could have known, that silence could have lasted for hours with the absence of time in the realm of darkness. They continued trailing through for about another hour or so. Ahead of them, the darkness above they seemed to fade to an open dark night sky. The dark, twisted remnants of the realm seemed to fade away when stone boulders began aligning the path along the stone ground.

Riku and Mickey continued their through the darkness before them, not a word said between the two of them.

* * *

The castle of Radiant Garden sat still in the quiet night, overlooking the rest of the silent town.

In the library of the castle, hidden away within the many twisting shelves of books, Aerith sat at a desk in the corner of the vast library with a large open book in front of her. She carefully read through the book next to the flickering light that illuminated the corner of the library. Next to the desk was a stack of at least a dozen books which she had already gone through. When there was ever a moment to spare, she, Yuffie or Leon would often retreat to their studies, in hopes of learning something that would help Sora during his adventures. She had already been at it for a few hours now and was feeling the need for sleep begin to take over.

Each of the books she studied had contained passages about light and darkness, the existences of the worlds and the Lanes Between, valuable information about the Keyblade and secrets of the Keyholes locked away within the worlds and other reports gathered from scholars and explorers that chronicled and summarized the details of the many mysteries of their universe.

She rubbed her eyes and let out a small yawn, before she diverted her attention from the book, hearing the echoing of the heavy library door opening. Moments later, Yuffie made her way through the passages of shelves.

"You're still at it, Aer?" The ninja said and walked up to the desk, pushing some of the books aside so she could take a seat. "You should take a break and get some rest."

"I haven't been able to get any sleep for days," she said, resting back in the chair. "I've been trying to take my mind off of other things."

"I get it," the ninja said, tilting her head and looking up to the tall ceiling. "It was good seeing Sora and his friends again. I think they were just what we needed to boost our spirits."

"Yeah, it's good to be helping them out again," Aerith sighed and closed the book in front of her. "I just hope they're able to take on the darkness and defeat it this time."

Yuffie turned to look at her friend, who, after all the years they spent together, had become more like a sister to her. Her, Aerith and Leon loathed the darkness equally. It had been because of it that they had lost their home of Radiant Garden over a decade ago, and with it, their parents had been killed because of the darkness and the creatures that it brought with it.

If there was one good thing that came from that terrible situation that Leon, Aerith and Yuffie found themselves in, it was that Cid took them all in and started looking after them when they were only just teenagers and the four of them had created a familial bond between them - something they all needed, especially after they all lost their family when their world was taken.

Aerith sighed and stood up. She walked over to the stack of books, "I don't know. I've read through so many reports and books from so many different authors and they all say the same thing - the darkness can't be destroyed or defeated , it can only be channeled. If that's the case, Sora might be fighting a losing battle when the darkness will always win."

Yuffie tilted her head and looked at her friends, "Aerith, this isn't about Sora and that Xeha-person, is it?"

"Huh?"

"It's about Cloud. You're worried about him." The ninja hopped off the desk and walked up to her friend, "Come on, Aer, I know. You're not so good at hiding things, especially what you're feeling."

Aerith lowered her head and gave a faint smile, "I know. You're right...And of course I'm worried about him. If these books are correct, the darkness...it will always find a way to strike back...and darkness is something he's been fighting against for too long now."

It had been a few months since Cloud had left Radiant Garden to battle against the physical embodiment of his darkness, the one-winged demon - Sephiroth. In an attempt to keep her safe and unharmed, he wanted her to stay at Radiant Garden, knowing that he would never be able to forgive himself if something were to happen to her.

They were teenagers when the two had met while Aerith was tending to the flowers that surrounded and filled the town throughout. When the Heartless had come and attacked, Cloud swore to the flower girl that he would protect her as her bodyguard. He fulfilled this promise when he had saved her from the darkness prior to Radiant Garden being consumed by Maleficent's Heartless, but in the process - he was separated from Aerith and the others and was lost to the darkness.

Ever since, he's been struggling to fight off the darkness that once consumed him and to see an end to Sephiroth, so that he could return home to her.

Aerith understood that Cloud was ready to settle the score between him and his darkness and that the blonde soldier would return when the war waging within him was settled. Now, after her endless hours of research, she feared that it never would come to an end - that, like Sora, his battle against the darkness would always continue.

Aerith crossed her arms and went to one of the tall windows that overlooked the town beneath the castle. "I believe in him - that he can defeat his darkness. I just wish I knew he was alright and that he'd be back home soon."

Yuffie smiled, "I'm sure he'll be fine. If there's one thing I know, it's that the two of you always have a way of finding each other."

"We do," Aerith smiled, "It's just...different when you don't know how the other person is doing."

"I'm sure Leon feels the same way," Yuffie said, walking over the window to join her friend.

Aerith looked back at her, "Right, he found that letter...from Rinoa, right? What did it say?"

Yuffie breathed out, "Beats me. I asked him and you know how moody he can be. He's not sure, but he's convinced that it must have been from her..."

The flower girl smiled, hopefully, "I hope he's right. We could use some good news and it'd be the happiest he'd be in awhile."

"I know," Yuffie thought, putting a finger up to her chin, "But it can't be - we saw what happened to her when the Heartless destroyed this town."

Aerith and Yuffie recalled the night they, along with Leon and Cid had escaped from the destruction of their world. While Cloud had already been taken by the darkness to get Aerith to safety, Squall fought with all of his might to do the same for Rinoa - but he failed and watched as she disappeared into the darkness with the Heartless, only moments before he, Cid, Aerith and Yuffie found themselves waking up in Traverse Town.

Feeling the despair and shame over his failure of protecting Rinoa, Squall changed his name to 'Leon' in an attempt to distance himself from his past self's failures.

Yuffie went on, "We saw the darkness take her. She couldn't have escaped that."

"I don't know," Aerith sighed, "For the longest time, Cloud was missing and we never thought we'd see him again - but he came back. And...now that I think about it, when Leon saw how relieved and happy I was to see Cloud...he probably started hoping that...there could be a chance that Rinoa was out there, too, somewhere."

The ninja tilted her head in thought, "Hmmm, but what I don't get is, if everyone returned to the world they were from, like Cloud did, then...why didn't she return here?"

Aerith thought for a moment, before shrugging. "I don't know," she whispered.

Yuffie followed her friend up to the library window.

Aerith began, "I just feel like...things are about to get worse."

"Sora and his friends are already about to face off in a war against the darkness. What else could happen to make things worse?" Yuffie looked at her friend.

"I don't know. I just feel something bad is coming," Aerith said in a hushed voice.

The two turned to look out of the window and into the dark night ahead of them.

* * *

The dark, nighttime streets of Radiant Garden stood still in the fog-filled evening. The flickering lanterns were the only source of light in the dark night. A shrouded figure quickly wandered down the streets, trying not to be seen by anyone.

With a bag over her shoulder, Elenar briskly walked down the dark alleys that led away from the town. She had lived in the West District, which was considered a dangerous and unsafe part of town, especially at night - but Elenar didn't care, she was used to the danger. After having yet another argument with her new roomate and former Organization member, Dyme, over his laziness and her cutthroat directness, she had packed her things and left to leave the town, not wanting to be spotted by anyone.

Ever since Lea had told her that Xehanort had returned, along with Xemnas and eleven other seekers of darkness to build an army, she knew she had to leave to not get involved in any of that again. She expected it to be one of this 'new' Organization's strategies to rope in members of the previous Organization as strategic allies to their cause - Elenar wanted nothing to do with that.

She was leaving and not looking back.

She hated her life in Radiant Garden. She hated the town, her job and the people. In fact, there was little that Elenar liked anywhere. Though, where she lived didn't matter, as long as Xehanort wouldn't find her. She would go into hiding for as long as it took until she could walk freely without the fear of him and his army threatening the worlds.

She could make a new life for herself, she thought, a better life - one where she could maybe learn to take down her cold demeanor and perhaps, maybe even enjoy this new life.

She was taken out of her thoughts of this new life when she saw a figure emerge from the darkness before her, a Keyblade in hand.

She scoffed, hoping to not meet any delays. "Ugh, it's that insufferable Keyblade wielder again. Look, I'm trying to get out of here, so don't be an annoying nuisance for once and get out of my way."

The figure just stood there in the cover of the fog and stared at her.

She felt a cold shiver travel up her spine and spread through every bone in her body. "I said get out of my way!" She screamed, practically begging.

The figure stepped forward from the fog then. What he wielded wasn't a sword at all, but a blade from the darkness called a Soul Eater.

"You," Elenar's eyed widened, before glaring at him, "Weren't you defeated in Castle Oblivion?"

"I could say the same for you - but here we both are." The replicated Riku from Castle Oblivion spoke to her, emotionlessly. "Let's just say...an 'old' friend was able to bring me back to our present time."

"So...what do you want!?" Elenar demanded, shouting. She could feel her lips tremble as her body start to shook.

"Oh..." The replica began with a smirk, "No authority in this new life? No powers of your own? Your just a normal person...just...like...everyone else. Don't you just hate it?"

Elenar sneered, "Is that why you're here?! Just to mess with me!?"

"Nope - just...sniffing you out for the boss." The replica said, before fading back into the darkness of the fog.

"What? Hello!?" She called after him. She spun around frantically looking for him as his dark chuckle echoed down the alley. She turned around in the direction that she had just come from, but there was no one. She felt her new heart practically thump out of her chest, her breath coming quick and heavy.

She spun around and her heart nearly stopped when she saw Xemnas standing there.

"Xem...Xemnas..." Elenar breathed out, "You...how..."

"Larxene, you're quite lovely in your original form." Xemnas lowered his head and replied emotionlessly to her, "It's a shame any affinity I had for you was lost long ago when you tried to overthrow my Organization."

She trembled as he approached, "Xemnas, please...that was so long ago. We...we've moved past it. Please..." She begged, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

Xemnas' eyes grew angrier, as he placed his hand around her face, squeezing her cheeks tightly. He smiled looking at the terror in her eyes.

She hated the life that she had, but now given the circumstances, she would have gone back to being the town electrician in a second if it meant being away from the Organization.

"Please...please don't do this! I-I just want to have a normal life! Please! I don't deserve this!" she begged, tears falling down her face.

He brought his face down to hers then, staring into her eyes for a moment. He whispered, "But you do deserve this." He tightly gripped her throat then, squeezing the life out of her.

Elenar's eyes widened then as she raised her hands to him in a futile attempt to stop him.

"Xemnas, enough." Master Xehanort called out to his vessel.

Xemnas released Elenar then, leaving her to fall to the ground to catch her breath. She coughed and sputtered for a moment, regaining her breath. She felt relief, but most of all hope that she would see another day.

Master Xehanort walked up to the two and surprisingly, offered his hand to assist Elenar with getting to her feet. Xemnas stepped back from the two.

Elenar looked up at the man, tears now of gratitude in her eyes for saving her, even though she didn't understand. "Th-thank you." She took his hand and was helped to her feet. "Thank you so much."

"Of course, my dear. I have a plan for you." Xehanort smiled then - but dark and sinister, a look of madness in his eyes. "I wouldn't permit him doing any harm to you...not when I would find so much enjoyment if I killed you myself."

With a simple flick of his hand, Elenar's head cracked out of place to the side, her neck snapping and breaking. Her body fell to the ground, as her lifeless eyes stared down the dark alleys of the town she hated.

Xehanort smiled and stared down at the dead body of the woman at his feet. "So simple."

"Why kill her if you had a plan for her?" Xemnas questioned, looking at his superior, "I would have been more than willing to do it myself."

"I know, Xemnas, but it's been too long...and I missed the look of death in someone's eyes. I wanted to savor it - I missed it so." Xehanort smiled, turning away from the body. "My plan in mind for her is exactly as I intended."

"How so?" Xemnas questioned.

"Soon, her body will be found and when it is, it'll be a matter of time before the other former members of the Organization realize what happened."

Xehanort turned to Xemnas with a twisted, grim smile, like a snake about to stike. "And when they do, if they try to run and hide from us, if they don't cooperate with our intentions..."

"...then they will share the same fate."

Xehanort and Xemnas disappeared back into the fog and shadows which they came from, leaving the body of the dead woman behind in the dark alley, the cold night ahead.

* * *

On the edge of the realm of darkness, Aqua stared out at the sea, the endless waves of the Dark Meridian trailing before her. In the bleak and hopeless world that the darkness had creates as its' own, Aqua was the one beacon of light, but even now, her eyes were dull and she seemed lifeless. She had forced herself to stay awake to evade any more nightmares that the realm of darkness had cursed her with.

She looked over to the robed man that was slouched on the rock. His head was slumped forward as slept, quiet breaths escaping from the man. She watched as he slept, an almost pleasant look concealed within the shadows of his dark robes.

Aqua faintly smiled then, "I guess having no memories means having no nightmares of your past...At least you can sleep well."

She stared off to the sea, wondering how many more endless years it would be before whatever fate claimed her. It already felt like she had spent a lifetime stuck in the enternal darkness that existed around her.

"How long before someone just...fades into the darkness forever?" she said, feeling a tear slide down her face then, feeling as though all hope for her and her friends had been snuffed out, just like the light in the other worlds would soon be to with Xehanort in power. She fell back against the sand, outstretching her arms and legs, feeling the grains shift beneath her form.

She endlessly stared up into the dark sky above her, thinking of her failures - about how she failed her master in bringing Terra back to him, how Ven was still asleep, that Terra was still locked in Xehanort's control and how while she was fated to toil away within the dark realm, the outside worlds seemed to be on a brinking point of crumbling away to the darkness.

She continued to stare up into the same dark sky - one that would always remind her of all of her failures, and she hoped and prayed that one day, she could look up and see a new sky. One that was warm and bright, like the one that she used to sit under with Terra and Ventus at their home. But now, she was afraid it was never going to be.

With one last look up to the sky, Aqua's eyes slowly shut.


	4. Outside, Looking In

Thank you to everyone who has read the story, especially to those great readers who have reviewed! I hope you're enjoying it. I'm probably going to take a little break before I decide to continue to write this. Hope everyone has a happy holiday!

* * *

 **Chapter Four - Outside, Looking In**

The twisting and turning columns and paths that led through the realm of darkness continued for miles around Riku and Mickey, as the two had been walking for hours.

Mickey felt the strain and guilt over not coming sooner to save Aqua reach its' peak and it was welling up inside. He couldn't imagine how anyone, especially someone as good and righteous as Aqua, spend over a decade in this dark, hopeless place.

Riku felt the silence finally get to him and stopped walking.

Mickey noticed this and turned back to his friend, a frown on his face.

The young man tilted his head at his friend, "Hey. Don't look so sad - Sora would never settle for that."

Mickey sighed and walked up to his friend, "I know...I'm just thinking about everything Aqua must have gone through down here. To be lost to the darkness for years...wondering about Terra and Ven...gosh, she deserved better."

Riku nodded, "But its like Master Yen Sid said, there wasn't an easy way in. It would have been too dangerous to travel back here then, Mickey."

"I know."

"Even if we had known, Sora would have probably tried to stage some elaborate rescue, even if we weren't ready to face what was down here," Riku tried to reason. "Things could have been worse off than they are now if he or any of us had done something reckless."

Mickey sighed, "Gosh Riku, I know, but...I could have at least tried."

"Huh?"

The King walked onward, "I know the Master said it was dangerous to do so, but the only thing worse than failing to try and save Aqua...was never trying at all...which is what we did."

Riku nodded and sighed, "I know, we were dealing with a lot at the time. There was everything that happened at Castle Oblivion and then dealing with Xemnas. Before we knew it, a few months passed and Sora and I were taking our Mark of Mastery. Everything just...happened so quickly."

"I could have acfed sooner on this...found some other way to help her." Mickey said, "I can't let what happened before repeat itself. I'll make sure Aqua gets out this time, no matter what it takes."

The two of them looked towards the darkness before them, now, more than ever, ready to save the fallen Keyblade Master that had been lost to the realm of darkness for over a decade.

* * *

The following morning, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea and their new shadow companion, Spooky, had left Radiant Garden before the sun rose and found themselves in the Gummi Ship floating in the Lanes Between. As their ship soared through the atmosphere that connected the plane of worlds, they looked out of the windows of the ship, watching as the galaxy streamed past them.

"So, I guess we start looking for the seven princesses then, huh?" Lea said.

"Yepp, but we already got one, so it's a good start!" Sora said, looking over to Kairi. "We'll find the other six and return them to Radiant Garden in no time."

Lea spoke, "Hmm, there are countless worlds among the stars. It could take some time."

"Up for a little adventure then?" Sora looked back at Lea.

"Heh, you know me. A little adventure never hurt anyone." Lea continued, "I just hope we don't have to search through EVERY world out there to find them."

"Well, it's a good thing we've already been to most of them," Goofy said.

Donald nodded, "Yeah! Let's see...there's Agrabah, the castle where Belle was staying, Wonderland..."

"So, that just leaves the worlds of Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora," Goofy said, tilting his head and thinking, "We've never been to any of those, right? Gawrsh, so many different kingdoms and castles, I'm startin' to have a hard time rememberin' which is which!"

"Chip! Dale! Did you find anything?" Donald pressed a button and spoke into the intercom.

"Give us a sec!" Dale's voice repeated back in the intercom.

"We're getting an update and tracking the world's coordinates," Chip said after.

From their control booth in the Gummi Hangar of the Disney Castle, the two chipmunks worked together to collect useful information and intel on the worlds located by the Gummi Ship, which they would then pass on to Sora and his friends. They skillfully pin-pointed the coordinates of the worlds in the Lanes Between and gathered whatever information they could about the worlds.

"Guys! We're picking up a reading from a world nearby!" Chip said.

Dale followed up, "Yeah, it's a kingdom with a big castle! Could be a good place to visit!"

"Well, it sounds like one of the princesses' worlds," Kairi said, looking at the others.

"Alright! We ready to go?" Sora asked, looking around the room, before gripping the controls to manuever the ship. "Okay! We're landing!"

The Gummi Ship descended towards the world.

* * *

 **The Kingdom of Lights**

The five of them, with Spooky on Sora's shoulder, landed down in a huge, beautiful forest filled with large trees that stretched up to the sky. Large, bountiful shrubs and flowers lined the way through the forest, as a flowing river came from the north end of the forest and swirled it's way in-between trees along the forest path. The morning sunlight up ahead streaked through the branches above, as the morning birds awoke, fluttering through the trees.

While walking through the dense forest, the five of them came to a fork in forest path. The left led deeper into the forest, while the right led towards a village that surrounded a tall and ornate castle that was situated on a hilltop. Just outside of the village was a vast ocean that surrounded the island the caslte and town. There was a small harbor of ships and small boats just outside the gates of the kingdom.

"Wow! Look at that!" Sora said, placing his hands behind his head with a smile.

"I don't think I've ever seen a castle so large before, except maybe the one at Radiant Garden," Goofy said.

"Anyone ever been to this world before?" Kairi asked, but they all shook their heads. This world was new to all of them, but it seemed like a perfect fit to find a princess here - whether it was one of the Seven Princesses of Heart that they were looking for was another matter, however.

Donald quacked and looked up at one of the trees, pointing, "Look at that."

The duck brought he and his friends up towards the tree and directed them towards the paper that had been nailed down to the tree. He traced his finger over the words he read, "'WANTED. Dead or Alive. Flynn Rider. Thief."

Sora tilted his head and looked up to the poster, "Flynn Rider, huh? Sounds like a bad guy."

"He's a thief. We better watch out for him." Donald suggested, "If he tries to steal our stuff, I'll show him not to mess with us!"

"Look, theres a royal seal from the kingdom!" Goofy said, pointing at the poster, "Gawrsh, he must be a pretty big thief if the the kingdom's royal guards are after him."

Lea placed a finger on his chin, "Is it just me or...does his nose look messed up?"

Kairi playfully slapped Lea's arm, "Lea! Don't be mean!"

He put his hands up in defense, "I'm just saying!"

They then heard a shout coming from within the far end of the forest, followed by the echoing sound of footprints quickly running through the forest, twigs snapping beneath the person's feet as they sprinted through the woods.

"All the things I've seen today and it's not even eight o' clock in the morning!" The thief sprinted through the woods , carefully keeping his satchel with his most recent stolen prized possession over his shoulder. He quickly looked over his shoulder to make sure that the kingdom guards weren't hot on his trail and from what he could tell, he managed to escape. He was so content with his theft and escape that he didn't even notice when he almost collided with the five figures stopped at the tree in the middle of the forest. He was going to make a mad dash past them until he paused in his tracks when he saw what the small group was looking at.

"What?" He pushed his way past them and went up to the tree. "No. No. No no no no no. This is bad. This is very, very bad. This is REALLY bad!" The tall man ripped the poster from the tree then and held it up towards them, "They just can't get my nose right," he said to them, a distressed look on his face, before ripping the sign from the tree and placing it in his satchel.

"It's the thief!" Sora said, summoning his Keyblade when Flynn appeared behind them.

"Thief? Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold fast, spiky. Some say thief, but...I'm just someone that chases after what they want. Name's Flynn, how ya doing?" Flynn tried flashing a dashing smile at all of them, "Look, I'm in a little bit of trouble right now and I gotta high-tail it outta here, so if you don't mind me, I'm just gonna be on my merry way."

Donald stomped his foot down, "Hold it right there, buster! You're not goin' anywhere, cuz we're takin' you back to the castle, ya big theif!"

"Gawrsh, Donald..." Goofy turned to his friend.

A mischevious glint appeared in Donald's eyes, "Just think of all the treasure. We'll be swimming in riches!"

"Sounds like a good kind of life," Flynn retorted, "But you're gonna have to try and catch me first."

"Wait, what?"

Before they knew it, Flynn had started sprinting off through the forest, his feet carrying him quickly away from the five.

Donald shouted out, "Look! He's getting away!"

"Thanks for the munny and items, by the way, guys!" Flynn shouted back to them as he escaped the scene.

"What?" Sora quickly checked his pockets and realized, sure enough, he had been robbed of all their items and whatever little munny they had on them. "Ugh, what a rotten thief! Come on, guys! After him!"

"Sora, wait!" Kairi called out to him, "Remember, we're here to find the princess!"

"I know, but we can't just let him escape with our things!" Sora turned to look towards the path the theif had just escaped down.

"Easy solution." Lea beagn, "We'll split up. Kairi and I will ask around the town about the princess, while the three of you can do what you best and take care of the trouble...or get yourself involved in the trouble - as the case may be."

"Okay! We'll meet back up at sundown." Sora hastily replied back to them, "Don't worry, we'll get our stuff back!"

Donald continued, "And we'll make sure to bop him on the head real good!"

As Kairi and Lea began making their way towards the one exit of the forest that led to a long, narrow stone bridge that led to the town beneath the castle, Sora, Donald and Goofy ran down the path that Flynn had taken, leading them deeper into the forest.

Further ahead along the forest trail, Flynn was sprinting through the wood, where he had opened his satchel and placed the wad of munny and the bottled items inside. Beneath the new stolen items, he took out the the beautiful ornate crown he had stolen from the castle just minutes before. The crown was made of gold with tiny red and blue gems adorning the rim, contrasted against the large crystal jewels that filled out the upper half of the crown. The crown was certainly fit for a princess - more specifically, the lost princess of the Kingdom, who was taken from the King and Queen just shortly after her birth, never to be seen again.

He looked at the crown with a smile. Now with the royal crown in his possession, given the right buyer, he could live off of what the crown was worth for the rest of his days and give up on the old 'thieving' gig.

He placed the jeweled crown securely back in his satchel before continuing his sprint through the woods. Upon making his way to the edge of the woods, he spotted Maximus, the head horse of the royal guard, thoroughly scanning the forest for the thief. Maximum was easy toi distinguish. The horse was tall and white and beared the royal crest of the kingdom dangling from his saddle - a purple flag imprinted with a golden sun.

Flynn expertly ducked behind a boulder, watching as Maximus made his way through the woods, but he knew he had to act fast, as the three others would soon find him, too. He placed his hand on the vine-covered rock behind him, trying to find a good hiding spot from his oncoming pursuers. He let out a low sound of confusion, as he found his hand pass right through the vines. He opened the dangling green leaves and found a hidden passage with the green vines acting like a curtain, obscuring it from view. Sensing Maximus and the three others closing in on him, Flynn ducked through the vines and entered the secret place,

Once on the other side of the vines, he caught his breath against the rock cavern wall for just a moment until the sight before him caught his eye. He walked a few feet forward and stared in awe, for before him, a small babbling brook and a few scattered, blossoming trees led the way towards a tall, simple tower that stood silent, surrounded by the tall mountains and a single, cascading waterfall.

Flynn turned around, hearing Maxmimus' neighs a short distance away, before the horse made his way back through a different part of the woods. Deciding not to take any chances and assuming that the structure would be a good hiding spot to stay until nightfall, Flynn proceeded to the base of the moss-covered tower.

Sora, Donald and Goofy ran through the forest, shortly trailing after the thief that they had come to know as Flynn Rider.

"This is just silly," Donald angrily stomped his feet, thinking about their predicament, "We've dealt with scary sea witches and evil genies and computer systems trying to take over the world, but no one's ever stolen from us and gotten away with it before!"

"Don't worry! We're not gonna let him get away!" Sora assured.

Goofy saw the beings that appeared before them in the forest, "Um, guys, I think we have other things to worry about! Look, Heartless!"

Before them, a dozen Heartless appeared, shaped like flowers and tree stumps, their glowing yellow eyes turning what whould be a cute creature into something entirely eerie.

"Come on, guys. Let's do it!" Sora said, calling out to his friends as the three of them fought through and vanquished the Heartless.

Amidst the battle, Sora spotted a pair of flower Heartless evade the battle and dart through a curtain of tangling green vines. Spooky crawled up Sora's back and perched himself on his shoulder, pointing towards the curtain. Sora smiled and looked at Spooky, "Got it!"

As Donald and Goofy finished off the last of the Heartless, Sora called out to them, "Guys, look!" Sora pulled back the curtain of vines and revealed to them the secret passage.

"Wow, a hidden passage!" Goofy exclaimed.

"And a perfect spot for a thief!" Donald turned to the two, "I bet Flynn came this way!"

"Let's check it out." Sora, Donald and Goofy made their way through the small rock passage before the cavern opened up to a large alcove surrounded by mountains and filled with beauitful trees and gently swaying flower fields and bushes. A cascading waterfall emptied into a flowing river which pooled into a small lake. Though most prominently, was the tall tower at the center of the mountainous opening.

As Sora, Donald and Goofy approached the tower, another small group of Heartless appeared.

"Gawrsh, there's a lot of Heartless in this world," Goofy said, rushing forward into battle with his shield.

"Something must be drawing the Heartless here," Donald examined, before freezing one of the Heartless with a Blizzard spell.

"Hopefully Kairi and Lea will find the princess soon before anything goes wrong with the Heartless," Sora said, before slashing through another group of monsters.

When the monsters were vanquished, Sora, Donald and Goofy made their way up to the tall, narrow tower. The three made their way around the base of the moss-covered tower.

"Hmm, no doors? No way up?" Goofy examined, looking around the tower. He knocked on the stone base of the tower like it was a door. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"HEEEEELLLLLLOOOOOOOOO!" Donald shouted up the side of the tower, his voice echoing through the alcove and the woods.

Sora looked at Donald, "Shh, Donald, not so loud! What if there's something bad up there?"

"Aw, please. We can take it," Donald assured him.

Goofy continued around the tower and then saw something that caught his eyes, "Hmm? Huh? Look at this." Goofy said, examining the long, thick golden rope that came from within the single tower window.

"What?" Sora looked up and sure enough, from up above, there was a single window at the tower's steeple that was adorned with bright, blossoming flowers and from within, this rope dangled. On Sora's shoulder, Spooky looked at the golden rope and pointed up.

"Look's sturdy." Donald gave the rope a light tug, before he began hositing himself up it, using the tower as secure footing for his ascent. "Come on, guys! Let's explore this thing!"

"Gawrsh, Donald, are you sure that-"

"Aw, what do you know, ya big palooka?" Donald rebutted.

Goofy thought, "Hmmmm, you're right. What do I know?" He started making his climb up the tower then, following up behind Donald. He called out down below to his friend, "Come on, Sora!"

Without a moment to spare and feeling the excitement of exploring the hidden tower for himself, Sora grabbed onto the golden robe and, once he had a secure footing along the stone structure of the tower, began making his ascent upwards. About halfway through, there was a brief moment where Sora faltered and mis-stepped when he looked down at the steep fall below him. He shook his head and snapped out of it, deciding not to think of how high up he was anymore. He finished the second half of his climb and made it to the window, stepping inside of the tower's room.

Sora panted out with a smile, "Wow! Haven't gotten an exercise like that in a while." He then noticed Donald and Goofy seemingly unconscious on the floor of the tower. "Donald? Goofy? What ha-"

Then, there was a hard hit at the back of Sora's head and his vision blurred. He collapsed to the floor and everything went dark.

Standing behind Sora, a beautiful, young woman with miles of long golden, blonde hair in a pink and purple fitted dress stood, watching over the three intruders with a frying pan armed in her hands.

* * *

Kairi and Lea had crossed the bridge and made their way through the village beneath the castle. The village was crowded and lively, filled with merchants and carts aligning the streets. Purple flags with the royal crest of the sun dangled overhead, attached from the roofs of the building. The village buildings were fanciful, as if they were right out of the storybooks that Kairi used to read when she was a kid. Built into the cobblestone streets of the town center, there was another royal creat of the kingdom. If one looked hard enough, the crest could be found throughout the entire town.

Kairi and Lea had made their way up the curving, zig-zagging path that led the way up the hillside that led to the castle gates, but, after some intial questioning, were turned away from the royal guards, who were too occupied with dealing with the theft of the lost princess' crown and thought the two just came to the castle to present a distraction to them.

The two found themselves walking back down the sloping streets that led back down into the town center in the late morning.

"Well, that was a bust," Lea said, scratching the back of his head. "We should try to find the others. They should have caught the thief by now."

Kairi shrugged, "Well, it sounds like this kingdom doesn't belong to any of the other princesses we're looking for. When we asked the guards about Snow White, Cinderella or Aurora, they seemed confused."

"Yeah, they only said that the princess of this kingdom was lost to them ever since she was a baby," Lea continued, "Doesn't fit the bill."

"Yeah, Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora all returned to their world after we were all freed from Hollow Bastion and Maleficent," Kairi concluded, "Still, there must be a missing princess out there somewhere."

"Oh, the lost princess?" An elderly woman, a storyteller, approached the two.

"You know her?" Lea asked, crossing his arms.

"Not by name, only by story," the elderly woman told them. "The story of the Lost Princess of our kingdom."

"The lost princess." Kairi spoke out loud, "What's the story?"

The elderly woman smiled and pointed up to one of the flags of the kingdom's crest. "It starts...with the sun."

"Once upon a time, a single drop of light fell from the heavens above - and from this small drop of light, grew a beautiful, magical, golden flower. It had the ability to heal the sick and injured. The flower existed for centuries, never to be found, even as our entire kingdom grew. The kingdom was ruled by a beloved king and queen. And the queen was about to have a baby...but she got sick. She was running out of time and the people of our kingdom began praying for a miracle - the miracle of the light to save her."

The old woman turned to the side dead end wall of the village courtyard, where there stood a glass mosaic of the king, queen and their newborn daughter with a full head of golden hair. The mosaic had been completed in honor of the lost princess.

"The prayers of the kingdom had been answered as the magical flower was found! The magic of the golden flower healed the queen. A healthy baby girl, a princess was born, with beautiful golden hair. To celebrate her birth, the king and queen launched a floating lantern into the sky. And for that one moment, everything was perfect - but it didn't last. As the legend says, the magical light of the flower was renewed within the princess, herself and there were those that wanted the power as their own. One night, the castle was broken into and the princess was taken, never to be seen again..."

Kairi gasped, "What a sad story..."

"But we have hope that one day - our lost princess will return."

Kairi and Lea turned to look at the mosaic of the princess and her parents.

"The lost princess..." Kairi whispered.

* * *

Sora slowly stirred from his sleep then, before his vision cleared. It took a moment for him to realize where he was before he remembered that he, Donald and Goofy had climbed up the tower before all three were knocked out.

He then remembered, "Donald!? Goofy!?" He shot forward but realized he could only move so much, as the very same golden rope they had climbed up was now tying the three friends together in a cluster in the corner of the tower. Sora tried struggling against his binds some more, but it was no use. His struggling caused Donald and Goofy to awaken.

"Hey, what's going on?" Donald said, struggling against the golden bind.

"What is this?" Goofy said.

"It's no use," a voice said from the corner of the room. The three looked up to find Flynn tied to a chair with the same golden rope that seemed to trail from all around the room. His satchel was missing and his hands were tied down to the arms of the chair. "Was knocked out cold as soon as I got up here. Looks like you got the same treatment."

"You got caught, too. Good riddance!~

Flynn rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, listen, I don't usually get caught up. Looks like I met my match."

"What is this place?" Sora asked, looking around at the room. Paintings had been created on nearly every inch of the walls, which reminded him of his secret place back on the islands. There was a bookshelf filled with various books, a small kitchen area with a fire for a stove and an oven and a small staircase that led up to the upper balcony that looked over the room, where a small window and bed was placed.

Flynn looked closer at the rope that was tying him down to the chair and realized that it was no rope, whatsoever. "Is this...hair?" The lair was layered all over the room, encircling the floor, layered about the steps, hanging from the rafters above, it was everywhere. The hair must have been over a mile long.

A voice called out from the darkness of the rafters above, "Struggling...struggling is pointless!" The young woman's voice sounded direct, but a bit cautious, too.

Flynn, Sora, Donald and Goofy watched as the woman's figure leaped down the short distance from the rafters and landed in the darkness of the corner of the tower. She quickly hid behind one of the curtains, hiding her form, as she pointed her weapon, a frying pan, at the four intruders.

The young woman called out again, "I know why you're all here...and I'm not afraid of you!"

Flynn gave the woman a confused look, "What?"

The woman then slowly stepped out of the dark shadows and into the light, as the four saw her figure for the first time. She was a young woman, maybe at most eighteen years old, with the most beautiful golden hair that cascaded down around her. She wore a light purple dress that was tied together with pink lace. Her face was young and innocent and, to Flynn, she had the most impressive green eyes he had ever seen.

The woman stared at the four, a stern expression on her face as she tightly held onto the frying pan. "Who are you...and how did you find me?"

Flynn's expression softened when he saw the beautiful woman, "A...ha..."

She asked again, a more threatening tone in her voice, " _Who are you...and how did you find me?_ "

Sora glanced back and forth between Donald and Goofy, "Uh, um, sorry miss, but, we were just following that guy up here! He stole from us! We just found this place by accident, we swear!"

The woman looked over to the thief then, "And you?"

Flynn cleared his throat, a sincere expression across his face, as he diplomatically replied, "I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you, but may I just say..." he closed his eyes and looked down.

The woman waited, frying pan in hand.

Flynn then showed his face, flashing the woman a devilish grin, as he raised his eyebrows, "Hi. How ya doin'? The name's Flynn Rider."

She stared back at him, confused.

"How's your day goin'? Huh?"

"Really, Flynn?" Sora asked, put off by the thief trying to sweet talk the woman.

She scoffed and pointed the frying pan towards the intruder, "Who else knows my location, Flynn Rider?"

Flynn rolled his eyes, "Alright, Blondie-"

"Rapunzel," she corrected.

"Gesundheit," he replied back. "Here's the deal, I was in a situation, galavanting through the forest when I met those three shlups."

"Hey!" Donald said, insulted.

Flynn continued, "I came across your tower and I-" He stopped, a panicked look on his face. He quickly looked around the chair, concerned, "Oh no, where's my satchel!?"

Rapunzel crossed her arms and confidently smiled, "I've hidden it - somewhere where you'll never find it. So...what do you want with me hair?" She pointed her frying pan at the four intruders, "You want to cut it?"

"No!" Goofy cried.

"Sell it?"

"Noooo!" Donald said.

"Listen, the only thing we want to do with your hair is get out of it! Literally!" Flynn pleaded.

Rapunzel tilted her head and confusedly lowered the frying pan, "Wait...you don't want my hair?"

Flynn rolled his eyes and explained again, "Look. I was being chased, met these guys, I saw a tower and I climbed it. End of story."

Rapunzel raised her eyebrows, speechless by his honesty, "You're telling the truth?"

"Yes!" Flynn stared at her with honest sincerity.

She turned to the three tied up friends then, "And...you're telling the truth, too?"

"Of course we are!" Sora defended.

From behind Rapunzel, a tiny green chameleon appeared and perched itself on Rapunzel's shoulder. She took her tiny green friend in her hands and turned away from the four. She listened intently as the chameleon spoke to her.

"Pascal, I know I need someone to take me," she replied back before it squeaked to her again. "I think they're telling the truth, too." As Pascal continued to speak to her, she cut him off, "But what other choice do I have?"

Her conversation with the chameleon was interrupted when a voice echoed from beneath the tower. "Oh, Rapunzel! Let down your hair!"

"Oh, no! It's my mother." She whispered to them, "If she found out that I had visitors up here, she would be so mad!"

"What do you want us to do?" Sora whispered back.

"Hide!" She untied her hair from around the three and released Flynn from his binds. She led the four over to her large boudoir closet, "Quickly, in here!"

Flynn, Goofy and Sora piled into the tight space, shoving against one another wsith the very little space they had to themselves.

Sora grimaced, squeezing through, "Ouch. Hey! Flynn, watch it! Watch out for Spooky's antenna! Make some space for us!"

"I can't help it. My muscles are solidly built." He winked at Rapunzel, "I know you heard that, Blondie. Why do you even have that creature thing?"

She shook her head and scoffed, "Ugh! Just stay in there and be quiet!"

"Rapunzel?" her mother's voice called back up to her.

"One second!" she called back down.

Donald stomped his foot down, "There's no way I'm squeezing in there with the rest of th-" He was stopped when Rapunzel lifted him up and pushed him into the closet, "Wak!" She slammed the door shut and secured it.

"Rapunzel!" Her mother practically shouted from the bottom of the tower.

"Coming!" The young woman shouted back, before she made her way over to the window. She lowered her hair down from the tower. Her mother looped Rapunzel's hair and used it as a sort of pedestal as her daughter pulled her up the length of the tower.

From looking through the tiny Keyhole of the closet, Donald could see her mother come through the window. She didn't look entirely old at all, maybe in her mid-thirties, with a long maroon dress that was partially covered with a black cloak. She tossed back her hood, letting her curly black hair fall free. Her face had been entirely done up in the finest make ups the kingdom could offer.

"Hello, mother," Rapunzel timidly greeted her.

She approached her daughter and took her by the arms, "Ugh, Rapunzel - how do you manage to do that every day without fail? It looks absolutely exhausting, darling."

Rapunzel nervously laughed, "Oh. It's nothing."

"Then, I don't know why it takes so long!" Her mother said in a sing-song tone as she 'boinked her daughter's nose. She laughed and carelessly moved past her daughter to look at herself in the mirror, "Oh, darling, I'm just teasing."

She let out a fake laugh, "Alright, so...as you know, mother, tomorrow is a very big d-"

"Rapunzel, look in that mirror. You know what I see? I see a strong, confident, beautiful young lady." She smiled and then noticed her daughter's reflection. "Oh, look, you're here, too!" She let out another boisterous laugh, "I'm just teasing, stop taking everything so seriously!"

Rapunzel excitedly responded, "So, mother, I was just saying that tomorrow is a big day, and you didn't respond. So, I'm just going to tell you - it's my birthday!" She laughed, "Ta-da!"

"No, no. It can't be." Her mother assured her, "I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year."

Rapunzel replied cheekily, "That's the funny thing about birthdays. They're kind of an annual thing." She sighed and sat her mother down in the chair, sitting down in front of her, "Mother, I wanted to ask, well...ugh, I want to see the floating lights!"

Her mother stared, "What?"

"I was hoping you'd let me see the floating lights." She went over to one of the curtains and pulled it back, revealing a mural she had painted - a mural of herself looking up towards a sky filled with golden floating lanterns.

Mother Gothel rolled her eyes and corrected, "Oh, you mean the stars."

"That's the thing, Mother! I've charted stars and they're always constant. But these, they appear every year on my birthday. Only on my birthday. And I can't help but feel like they're meant for me...and not just from my window, mother, but in person. It's my dream."

Her mother angrily stood up from her chair, "Ugh, I thought we've spoken about this before, Rapunzel. The world is a dangerous place - filled with things that would do you harm. I'm only trying to be a good mother by keeping you safe up here. Wanting to see the stars is just ungrateful."

"'Floating lights'", Rapunzel corrected again, "Mother, you think I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there, but-"

"Oh, darling, I know you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there."

Rapunzel pressed on, "But if you just-"

"Rapunzel, we're done talking about this," her mother sternly replied.

"Oh, come on, mother," she pleaded.

Her mother angrily shouted then, "Enough with the lights, Rapunzel! You are not leaving this tower! EVER!"

Rapunzel flinched back, as if she had been hit, sadness in her eyes.

Mother Gothel clutched her forehead and sighed, "Great. Now I'm the bad guy."

The young woman lifted her eyes, looking up to the mural of the lights - her dream, and she felt it slipping away. An idea formed in her head then, thinking of the four others hidden away in the room. "All I was going to say, mother, is that...I want something else for my birthday."

Her mother glared at her, annoyed, "And what is that?"

"New paint. The paint made from the white shells you once brought me," she replied simply.

"That is a very long trip, Rapunzel. Almost three days' time," her mother tried reasoning.

"I just thought...it would be a better idea than the stars," Rapunzel smiled lightly, trying to persuade her mother to go.

Her mother sighed and agreed, "Okay. You sure you'll be alright on your own?" Her mother went to hug her daughter, kissing her hair and trailing her hands over it.

"I know I'm safe as along as I'm here." Rapunzel said back.

Within moments, she had helped her mother pack her things and soon, she was lowering her back down from the tower. She waved her mother off and soon, her mother had vanished into the shadows of the cavern.

With her mother gone, Rapunzel skipped from excitement and ran to her boudoir and opened the door, sending Sora, Donald, Goofy, Spooky and Flynn tumbling out in a heap.

"Sorry," Rapunzel said, wincing. "And...sorry you had to hear all that between me and my mother."

"Yeah, what was that all about?" Donald said, rubbing his behind.

Sora nodded, "I don't want to interfere, but she seemed kinda mean, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes and pushed her hair behind her ear, "She means well. She's just trying to protect me."

"Gawrsh, I don't know," Goofy stood up after recovering.

Rapunzel then turned her attention back to Flynn, "Okay, Flynn Rider, I'm prepared to offer you a deal."

"A deal," he questioned.

She went over to the mural of the lights, "Do you know what these are?"

"You mean the lantern thing they do for the princess?" He responded.

Rapunzel's eyes widened in realization, speaking to herself, "Lantern? I knew they weren't stars! Well, tomorrow evening, they will light the night stars with these lanterns. You will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns and return me home safely before my mother returns three days from now!

Flynn scoffed and rolled his eyes, "And why would I do that?"

"Because then, and ONLY then, will I return your satchel to you! That is my deal." Rapunzel said, before turning to Sora, Donald and Goofy, "And once I've returned his satchel, you will get your items back."

"You know, you could have just asked us that you wanted help to go see the lights!" Sora defended, "We would have happily helped you out!"

Rapunzel was taken aback and remained quiet for a moment, "You would have?"

"Yeah! We always try to help people out!" Donald said.

"Gawrsh, especially since it's your dream!" Goofy said.

"Wow." Rapunzel said to herself, "You're...nothing like what mother said the outside world would be like."

Sora tilted his head, "Rapunzel...you...never left this tower, have you?"

She sheepishly shook her head, "No. Mother's kept me up here to protect me from the outside world. She says there are creatures that would do me harm."

"The Heartless," Goofy surmised.

She continued, "She said the outside world is full of danger and people wanting to do me harm."

Sora shook his head, "The outside world isn't all that bad, Rapunzel. Sure, there is danger out there, I think Donald, Goofy and I know that more than anyone, but if you kept yourself locked away in the same place forever - you'll never know what else is out there. Believe me, I know that feeling, too."

Goofy smiled, "Sora's right, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel nodded and smiled, turning to Flynn, "Well, Flynn...is it a deal then?"

Flynn sighed and shook his head, "Sorry, no can do."

"Come on, Flynn!" Sora cried out, agitated.

"Listen, kid. The kingdom and I aren't exactly simpatico at the moment, so I can't be taking you anywhere..."

Rapunzel set a determined glint in her eyes, "Listen here, Flynn Rider. Something brought you here. Call it what you will - fate, destiny..."

"A horse," Flynn replied.

She continued, "So, I have made the decision to trust you."

"A horrible decision, really," he shot back.

She approached him menacingly, "But trust me when I tell you this - you can tear this tower apart brick by brick, but without my help, you will never find your precious satchel!"

He cleared his throat and tilted his head, "Let me get this straight. I take you to see the lights, I bring you back home and you'll give me my satchel?"

"I promise," she replied.

He sighed, "Alright, listen, I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the smolder." He lowered his face to get into character. He lifted his face back up and stared at her, puckering his lips out to her, raising his eyebrows, flashing an expression that had proved him able to make women go weak in the knees.

Unfortunately for him, Rapunzel's knees didn't budge.

Flynn's face faltered, "This is kind of an off day for me. This doesn't normally happen." He gave in and sighed, realizing that he was backed into a corner one way or the other. "Fine! I'll take you to see the lanterns."

"Really?" Rapunzel excitedly jumped up into the air, "Yes!"

Once the team was all assembled, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Flynn descended back down the tower the way they had arrived - back down the long stream of Rapunzel's golden blonde hair. The four of them, with Spooky in tow, stood on the stretching field of grass before the tower, waiting for Rapunzel's descent.

Barefoot and with frying pan in hand, Rapunzel stood on the wooden ledge of the tower window, looking down at the vast world beyond the only home she'd ever known. She fastened her mile-long hair around the handle above which she had used to pull her mother up, feeling her heartbeat rise in her chest, not because of the great height beneath her, but because of the idea that she was finally setting off and exploring the endless outside world she had always dreamed of - something Sora could understand.

She took another look back into her tower, at the mural she had created of herself staring up at the floating lights - her dream, and with Pascal on her shoulder and not another moment to spare, she tossed her hair down from the window like a rope and slid down the length of the tower, feeling the wind rush through her hair and her heart leap from the weightlessness. She stopped herself just short of her feet touching the ground, holding herself there in front of Sora, Donald, Goofy and Flynn.

She stared at the ground for a brief moment, looking at the world beneath her. it was the first time she would have ever been met with the outside world. Cautiously and slowly, she lowered her feet to the soft grass beneath her. Exhilarated, she ran through the field before here, twirling through the flowers and kicking her way through the crystalline, flowing river. With a loud laugh, she darted through the field and towards the cavern, ready to explore the outside world now at her fingertips. Her heart lifted with every step she took, every sight she saw.

"Best day ever!" she cheered, running through the cavern.

Flynn stood there for a moment before turning back to the others, "Come on. This is gonna be a long two days. I get the feeling she's a hard one to keep track of."

"Good thing you're a thief. You should be smart enough then to find something you've lost," Donald pointed out to the man.

Flynn raised his eyebrow, "I think there was a compliment in there somewhere, so I'm just gonna say 'thank you'." They quickly walked after Rapunzel, passing through the cavern and entering in to the other side of the large forest which they had come.

The four watched as Rapunzel ran through every inch of the forest, shouting in excitement at the feeling of being free, able to explore the world for the first time in her life.

Flynn turned to Sora and noticed the young man's smile, "What are you smiling about, spiky?"

"Nothing," Sora chuckled and shook his head, watching the blonde's exciting sprint through the forest, "I just know how she feels."

As she ran through the forest, a group of Heartless suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and surrounded Rapunzel.

"Oh, no!" Goofy shouted.

Flynn yelled, running towards the blonde, "Rapunzel, look out!"

Rapunzel stared wide-eyed at the monsters that surrounded her. "These creatures, they must be the monsters that mother talked about - the ones that would do me harm. Goofy called them...Heartless?"

She stepped back as one of the creatures pounced towards her.

"Come on guys, we have to help her!" The Keyblade wielder called out to Donald and Goofy. The three followed Flynn and charged into battle.

Through, their stampede into the battle was short-lived, as moments later, the four watched as Rapunzel hit one of the creatures over the head with the frying pan. She watched with newfound excitement as the Heartless was vanquished and imploded in a cloud of darkness. Another soldier Heartless jumped towards her, but she smacked it so hard, it was sent flying out of the forest.

"Whoa," Flynn muttered, impressed.

She attacked three different Heartless in a combo manuever then, letting out a giggle of enjoyment as she fought her way through the Heartless. Her giggling as she mercilessly fought off the Heartless was quite a sight to see. Within moments, the creatures had all been vanquished and the forest was quiet yet again. Rapunzel joined back up with the others.

"Wow, Rapunzel! For bein' trapped away in that tower for all that time, ya sure got a lot of fight in ya," Goofy said.

"Yeah, that was amazing," Donald agreed.

Flynn sighed and stepped up to Rapunzel then, "Well...your mother was clearly right. It's just too dangerous out here in the open world for someone like you." He gave a fake sigh and did his best to frown, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm letting you out of the deal. Let's just turn you around and get you right back home." He started pushing her in the direction of the tower, "I get back my satchel, you get back your mother-daughter relationship based on mutual trust."

"No!" Rapunzel stomped her foot down and made her way back towards the others, "I am going to see the lanterns!"

Flynn smirked at how stubborn she was, before a small smile appeared on his lips. "Fine, but don't blame me if more Heartless appear along the way. Hopefully, you can take on the bigger ones."

"Bigger," Rapunzel questioned.

"Massive," Flynn replied. "With pointy teeth and huge claws!"

Her eyes widened, "Really?"

"Really." Flynn smiled.

"I...can't...wait!" Rapunzel cheered with a giggle, before storming ahead through the forest with her frying pan in hand, ready to take out whichever Heartless appeared.

Flynn's smile dropped and his eyebrows furrowed, "Well, that wasn't how it was supposed to go." He watched as the three others ran after Rapunzel. "H-hey, wait up!"

"Come on, Flynn!" Sora called back to the thief, "We gotta help make some dreams come true!"

Flynn stopped in his tracks for just a moment, watching as the three ran through the forest after Rapunzel. Although he had wanted to return her to the tower only moments before, he couldn't help but smile at the idea of playing a role in helping Rapunzel's dream come true.

With that smile on his lips, he chased after her.

* * *

It was already midday when Kairi and Lea had left the village and started making their way across the bridge that led back to the part of the forest where they had parted ways with Sora, Donald and Goofy. The sun was still high in the sky and the heat of the day had settled in.

Lea crossed his arms, "What is taking those three? They're definitely taking their sweet time catching that thief."

"They must have gotten caught up, I suppose." Kairi said back to him, "Come on, we should try and meet back up with him before the sun starts setting." She said, leading the man across the bridge and towards the clustered forest ahead.

Lea turned to Kairi, "So, you and Sora seem...pretty close."

Kairi turned to Lea with an astonished look on he face, as if she had been caught in the middle of doing something bad.

Lea's eyes widened as he smiled. He put his hands up in defense, "What?"

She pushed her hair back over her ear and shook her head, "N-nothing. It's just...I've never really spoken about it."

"Well, go on, then..."

She scoffed but smiled, "I didn't expect you to be so big on gossip."

He rolled his eyes and stopped walking, turning to her, "I'm not. I just like making sure my friends are happy and...deep inside Sora's heart...is my best friend, which means...Sora is like a best friend to me. At least, I hope we could be."

"Right...Roxas- Sora's nobody," Kairi spoke out loud.

"And yours is Namine," Lea spoke, "So, I just want to make sure...he's doing okay."

Kairi smiled and turned to face him, "Well, for starters, Sora and I have always been close ever since we were little...but, now we're getting closer. I can't say I'm upset about it," she laughed.

"That sounds nice," Lea said with a genuine smile. "I know it's not easy to necessarily have time to talk with one another about...feelings and whatever on this big journey of ours.

"Well, what about you?" She turned to him with a smile, "Do you have someone?"

"Me?" Lea pointed to himself in surprise. He let out a small chuckle, "Oh, no...no. I only just got my heart back recently, so things like love...eh, can't say I know the feeling. No, I'm not sure if there's someone in my future. You guys are lucky to have each other. It must be nice."

Kairi smiled and nodded, thinking about him, "Anyway, he's happy you're around again, you know. Sora thinks of you as a big part of our group."

"Really?" Lea asked, slightly taken aback. "I...didn't realize."

"Of course he does. Why wouldn't he," she asked.

Lea scratched the back of his head, "I don't know. Just for...a long while, I was on the opposing side. I guess...I'm just not used to actually ' _feeling_ ' like I'm much of a part of anything."

"Don't be silly, Lea. Of course Sora think of you as being a part of our group." Kairi assured him, "He...thinks of you as a great friend, right along with Riku, Donald, Goofy, all of us."

He smiled and nodded, "It's funny. When I was his age...I felt a lot like him. I wanted to meet as many people as I could and become friends with everyone I met. Now, going on this new adventure, starting to become friends with all of you guys, I just...just..."

"Lea, are you okay?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah." He let out a small laugh, "I...," he sighed,"...it just feels good to be a part of a team again."

"Wow, how touching."

Lea and Kairi turned behind them to spot the approaching figure on the bridge. The man lazily stepped towards them. He donned an Organization robe and the two of them knew, it must have been one of Xehanort's many vessels.

Lea spoke to the man, "Ah...a pleasure to see you again so soon, Braig."

"Ha, sure it is!" The man flipped his hood back, revealing the familiar scarred, one-eyed man. His eye glowed a menacing gold - the sign of Xehanort's heart infused with his own.

Lea stepped in front of a Kairi, "And what are you here for? To take Kairi? Sora? If you're attempting to find him to try and make him into another one of Xehanort's vessels, I'll stop that from happening before you can say 'as if'.

"Settle down, spitfire. I'm not here for your 'best friends', not today anyway." Braig laughed, "Xehanort's army has grown and Sora just didn't make the final cut. Old man doesn't need him as a vessel anymore...not when there were so many more...'willing' candidates."

"Who?" Lea's eyebrows furrowed, "Who's be willing enough to condemn themselves to that fate?"

Braig laughed, "Why don't you ask some of our former comrades?"

"The original Organization XIII? Who did Xehanort claim?" Lea demanded, "Dilan? Lamuria?"

"Fight it out of me and I'll tell you what I know," Braig said, a determined glare appearing in his eye. His twin arrowguns appeared in his hands.

"Kairi, go!" Lea called back to the red-haired girl.

"No! I'm not letting you take him on by yourself!" Kairi cried.

"Aw, how sweet. The newbie Keyblade wielders stickin' together until the very end." Braig smiled, "Two against one? I like the sound of those odds."

Kairi and Lea summoned their Keyblades, charging towards the man. Braig laughed, jumping up into the air and firing his double arrowguns towards Lea, who used his Keyblade to riochet the beams of light away from him. He charged towards Braig then, striking the man with the Keyblade. After Lea had landed a hit, Braig teleported away, appearing behind Lea. While unsuspecting of the magical teleportation, Braig struck Lea with his arrowguns.

Kairi charged towards Braig then, raising her Keyblade above her head, before striking down. Before Braig was hit, he teleported away and appeared behind Kairi. The young woman, having just seen the attack her enemy landed on her friend, quickly spun around just in time to fend Braig off and strike him down with her blade.

"Ugh, clever, little sneak!" Braig reeled back, injured. "Let's leave the combat to the skilled fighters, shall we?" He rose his hand and Kairi was sent blasting back on the bridge from an invisible force. She recovered and rose to her feet.

Lea ran for Braig, swinging his Keyblade around and striking the man, causing him to fall on his back. Lea panted, catching his breath after the short-lived battle, "Now tell me, who else has joined Xehanort's new Organization!"

"As if." Braig grunted, rising to his feet, panting out of breath as he recovered from the attack, "All you need to know is...Xehanort has abilties...far more powerful...than you can believe. The game is rigged - his powers...have enabled him...to set the pieces up so he can't lose! They've all fallen into place. His Organization is complete. It's only a matter of time until the Keyblade War begins."

"We'll stop him!" Kairi shouted across the bridge. "Sora and RIku have stopped him before. They'll do it again - this time, with all of us!"

"You can't." Braig chuckled, "The Keyblade War will happen. It can not be stopped. This is only one of many paths Xehanort has chosen."

"And what about you?" Lea questioned, "Once his body has dried up and has been destroyed, then what? You're just going to let him take over your heart? You're just going to let yourself fully become him?"

Braig nodded, "Yes. Xehanort and I have been in this together since the beginning. Without me, his plans could have been entirely different."

Lea scoffed, "Well, aren't you proud? Loyal as his second in command without fail."

Braig let out a small snicker and turned his back to them. "Oh. Speaking of 'failed loyalty'. Here - something for you." He tossed something to Lea, landing just short of his feet. "A little gift from an old friend in the Organization. You recognize it?"

Lea's eyes widened as he cautiously knelt down to pick up the yellow scarf. "Y-yes. It...was mine, when I was just a kid - when...he and I lived in Radiant Garden. How did-"

Braig smirked, "Says you lost it the night you joined the Organization. It's quite sad, isn't it? All the things we wish we could have done differently if we'd only know what the future had in store?"

His bottom lip trembling, Lea held the scarf up to his chest, right to his heart, feeling a tear slide down his face.

Braig turned to look directly into Lea's eyes, "But the sad truth is, Lea... _some scars are too deep, not even time can heal them._ "

With that, Braig was gone - vanished into the darkness, leaving Lea behind, holding his scarf from his teenage days to his chest, his past coming back to haunt him yet again.

Kairi walked up to him, "What was that about?"

But Lea never answered.

* * *

Maximus scanned the forest before him, picking up the scent of a nearby figure. Scanning the woods briefly, believing that he was in close pursuit of the kingdom thief, the horse quietly ducked behind an overgrown shrub, waiting as the figure approached. When he heard the nearby snap of a branch, he leapt out from behind the shrub to find Mother Gothel, taken by surprise from the stray horse.

She exhaled and scoffed, "Oh, a palace horse." Then her eyes went wide in realization, "Where's your rider?"

Her mind instantly went to the secret tower - the only home Rapunzel had ever known. Mother Gothel knew that no one knew of the tower's existence, which is why it made the perfect hiding spot for her ever since she stole Rapunzel away from her mother and father in the middle of the night when she was just a newborn - all for the mystical powers of Rapunzel's hair. The secret powers of Rapunzel's flowing golden hair was the only reason why she had kept the young maiden hidden away from the world - they sustained the older woman's youth and kept her young and beautiful, far beyond her time.

In actuality, Mother Gothel had already lived for centuries off of the golden magical flower before the palace guards had found it, uprooted it and used it to heal the queen's sickness. As vengeance and desperate to have the flower's magical properties to sustain her youth, in the dark of the night after the princess was born, Gothel crept into the castle and stole the newborn baby away, fleeing to the tower.

She was not going to lose what she prouded herself most on - her looks and put simply, Rapunzel was her only means of staying young.

Fearing about the idea of losing her appearance, but not so much about her daughter in the outside world, Gothel left the royal horse behind and darted through the forest. Her cape trailed behind her through the wind as she sprinted through the forest, ducking through the dangling vines and running through the small cavern that led to the tower.

She reached the foot of the tower and yelled up, "Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" She looked up at the window, feeling her deepest fears rise within her as she was met with silence. "Rapunzel!?" she called again, but nothing.

Without another moment to spare, she fled towards the opposite side of the tower, where a wall of vines had become overgrown on the side of the stone wall. In fear over losing her looks, she ripped down the cluster of vines and dug her hands deep into the stone walls of the tower, ignoring the bruises and small cuts that damaged her hands. She pulled and swept the small rocks away until a small passage was revealed at the base of the tower. Once inside, a swirling wooden staircase curved up the narrow tower and led all the way to Rapunzel's room at the top.

She pushed up a panel of the floor and slid it to the side, climbing up through the hole in the floor of Rapunzel's room. Her eyes went wide with fear when she realized that the source of her youth was indeed missing. Her breath came in deep and rushed, feeling the fear rise within her. She wondered how long it would be - how long until Rapunzel found out the truth about her past and her 'mother', how long until all of the kingdom was after her, how long until she could finally be released from the kingdom prison for capturing and enslaving the princess for years. She placed her hands on the sides of her head, pushing her hair back, as her heart nearly stopped from just the thought.

Then, for a moment, something hidden away under the wooden staircase in the room caught her eye as the sun hit off against something. She was drawn to the shiny object and soon found a small satchel hidden under the stairs. Inside, she found a royal, beautiful crown - surely Rapunzel's - and a wanted poster for a kingdom theif.

"Flynn Rider..." she spoke out loud and could only assume that this was the man that had broken into the tower to steal Rapunzel and her magical powers away.

Without another word, she left the tower, determined to bring the source of her youthful appearance back to her home - even if it had to be against her will.

* * *

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Spooky, with Flynn and Rapunzel in tow, made there way to a forest clearing where the path opened up to a small tavern on the edge of the woods.

Goofy read the sign outside of the tavern, "Hmm, the...Snuggly Duckling. Gawrsh, Donald, sounds like a nice place for you.

"Snuggly Duckling?" Donald read out and turned to the group, "As long as duck's not on the menu, I'll be fine."

"Relax." FLynn assured, "It's a nice, little place - but really, you should try their roasted duck sometime. Best dish on the menu!"

"WAK!" Donald squawked.

Flynn led the group to the tavern, "Don't worry, perfect place for you lot. Some of the nicest, most wholesome, noblest, genuine, endearing gents of the kingdom are inside."

Flynn opened the door and Rapunzel's eyes widened and she gasped when she saw the group of thugs crowding the tavern. The thugs were big and burly, looking like they could beat anyone to a pulp in a single move. Their huge arms were covered in hair and gnarly, distorted tattoos. There was a foul smell that seemed to come from within the tavern, which Sora and the others could only assume was from the thugs themselves. Weapons of all types, swords, daggers, hooks, axes, all different weapons were aligning the walls and strapped to the back of the thugs.

"Flynn, why would you bring us to a place like this?" Sora questioned the thief, summoning his Keyblade to prepare for the inevitable fight ahead of them. "And what's that horrible smell?"

Flynn smiled, leading a cautious Rapunzel into the tavern, as she held up her frying pan for protection, "Ah, that's part man-smell and the other part is really bad man-smell. Overall, it just smells like the color brown. Thoughts?"

Rapunzel cautiously examined the room, trying not to seem fazed by the burly man, as much as Flynn tried to frighten her.

Flynn approaced the skiddish young woman, "You don't look so good, blondie. Maybe we should get you home, call it a day. Probably better off. This is a five star joint, after all - if you can't handle this place, maybe you should be back in your tower," he said, leading the woman back towards the door, where Sora, Donald and Goofy stood.

However, before Flynn could exit with the young woman, a fleet of soldier Heartless appeared within the tavern, thrashing about and swiping at the thugs.

"Heartless!" One of the thugs girlishly shrieked.

"Oh, no!" Another cried out. The rough-looking thugs scattered and ran about the tavern looking for safety and trying to escape with their hearts.

Sora cocked his head in confusion and put his hand on his hips. "Well, looks can definitely be deceiving. Some thugs..."

"They're as soft as cuddily bears!" Donald said.

"I think we need to take care of these guys first!" Goofy said, before using his shield to knock over one of the soldier Heartless.

"Come on!" Sora said, using his Keyblade to slash through another set of Heartless.

Donald skillfully directed a fire spell towards one of the soldiers and expertly timed his attack, casting forth his staff and shooting a ball of fire from within, catching the soldier off guard and hitting it square in the chest. It propelled backwards and landed in the flickering fire place where the Hearltess impoded in a fiery burst.

Rapunzel swiped and hit the Heartless away with the frying pan. She got up and stood on one of the tables, carrying her long hair behind her. Drawing the Heartless to her, she quickly spun around with her frying pan out, hitting all the soldiers across the head, sending them flying back so her three other companions could finish them off.

With a lazy smile on his face, Flynn sat down at one of the tables and took one of the mugs in front of him and began tossing back the foamy beer, enjoying the scene of the four taking down the creatures while he could simply sit back and watch in enjoyment. "Ooh, nice moves, blondie."

"Take this!" Donald said, as a lightning bolt came descending down from the heavens and struck a Heartless down.

"Nice one, talking duck," Flynn commented.

Sora turned to the man, "Flynn, you could at least help us out, you know!"

Flynn opened his mouth for a seconed, watching as the battle almost seemed to be halted in front of him, "...nah."

"Fine! We can do this, Sora!" Rapunzel called out to him, and with the two of them together, Sora and Rapunzel worked together to make quick work of the rest of the Heartless.

"We did it!" Goofy cheered.

"Over here! Quickly!" They heard voices echo from outside.

Flynn quickly got up and went to the window, "Oh, just great! It's the palace guards! I gotta get outta here."

Flynn took Rapunzel and Sora down by the shoulders, leading them behind one of the bar counters while he thought of an escape route.

"What do we do?" Donald turned to the three.

"Um, just...distract them until we can find a way out!" Flynn whispered.

"Open up!" The guards called from outside.

Donald saw a sight out of the corner of his eye that caught his attention and with a devilish laugh, he and Goofy went over to the corner of the room to hatch his idea.

Tired of the waiting, the group of royal guards burst through the door. "Flynn Rider, where is he? We know he's in here. A valuable tip gave away his location. Turn this place upside down if you have to."

The thugs remained silent as the guards scanned through the tavern. Suddenly, came a large stomping from the corner. There, before the guards, a huge ruffian stood, taller than any of the others in the room. Rusty, discoloured armor covered the thug from head to toe. Sword and daggers were strapped all over the guard, as he clearly appeared to be a fearsome foe. As the tall, dominant figure continued forward, he wobbled for a brief moment, before stepping to the guards.

One of the guards gulped, "H-have you seen the thief Flynn Rider?"

The masked thug lurched forward towards the guards, his voice echoing through the metal helmet like screeching metal. It was a voice unlike any that they have ever heard. "Seen him? AHAHAHA!"

The guards crept back from the thug's laugh.

"Thanks to me, the kingdom won't have to deal with him anymore," the thug laughed again.

From behind the bar, Flynn cautiously looked over, before ducking back down with Sora and Rapunzel. "Great. How do we get out of this one?"

"I don't know." Sora said, looking at the guards from the side of the bar. He whispered, "It won't be long until they find us."

Then, Spooky appeared from over Sora's shoulder and hopped onto Sora's head, jumping again and landing on the bar. He went to the many draft beer dispenders, pointing at each lever, before he came across one that had a duck shape at the edge of it. He quietly pushed down on the lever, but instead of dispersing an ourpouring of beer, the level caused a floor panel to lower before Sora, Rapunzel and Flynn, leading an escape out of the Snuggly Duckling.

"Nice going, Spooky," Sora whispered.

Flynn looked between the open latch and the shadow, "You're bizarrely adorable and freakishly good-instincted sidekick is bizarrely adorable and has freakishly good isntincts."

"Come on!" Rapunzel whispered to them.

Spooky hopped back down from the bar and led Sora, Rapunzel and Flynn down the opened latch and out of the Snuggly Duckling.

"What about Donald and Goofy?" Sora turned back.

Flynn took the young man by the shoulders and spun him around, "They'll be okay, Sora! We'll meet back up with them in a bit."

:You don't have to worry about that stupid Flynn Rider anymore!" The thug roared, "He's gone."

"Wh-what did you do to him?" One guard asked.

The thug lurched forward and whispered right into the guard's ear, "The same thing I'll do to you."

"Okay, okay, we don't want any trouble...just trying to find someone," a guard said.

"Aren't we all?" Another voice echoed from inside of the thug's armor, a completely different voice.

The guards raised their eyebrows at the overwhelmingly large thug then and upon examining the being closer, it almost appeared to look like someone was standing on someone else's shoulders.

"Um, well, best be off." The thug spoke again in his normal voice, "Good talking to you." The thug quickly scurried over to the door of the tavern, but tripped on the way out of the door, causing Donald and Goofy to tumble out of the broken armor.

"A-yaaaaaaaaa-hoo-hoo-hoooeeee" Goofy yelled out, landing on top of Donald and into a pool of metal armor.

The guards saw the reveal of the two, realizing that they had helped Flynn Rider escape. It was only mere seconds before the guards had discovered the secret passage that led down into the caverns beneath the tavern. "Frauds! Stop!" They called after Donald and Goofy.

"I think now would be a good time to RUN!" Donald called out, running ahead and over a bridge that went towards the forest that led towards the kingdom.

"Wait for me, Donald!" Goofy called out and ran after his friend. "I hope Sora and the others are okay!"

Mother Gothel watched from outside of one of the windows of the Snuggly Duckling as the two friends made their way off. She then took her attention to the secret escape from the tavern, knowing that Rapunzel and her accomplice had escaped through. She could only wonder where the passage let out.

Walking through the damp and dark cavern, Flynn had grabbed a flickering lantern from the wall and led Sora and Rapunzel through the dark. He turned to the blonde, "That was pretty impressive back there. Didn't think you had that in you."

"I know!" Rapunzel replied ecstatically. She then caught herself, and tried to maintain a cool and confident demeanor. "I know."

Flynn couldn't help but smile at the girl's confidence and enjoyed seeing this side of her.

Curious, Rapunzel pushed her hair back over her shoulder and walked closer to Flynn, "So, Flynn, where are you from?"

"Whoa, whoa, blondie, I don't do backstory stuff," Flynn shrugged, turning back to the two, "Though, frankly, I am becoming very interested in the both of yours. We got you with the hair and the mother, then there's you with the oversized key and the duck and other thing. If I would have told someone that this is who I was spending my day, with the-"

"Flynn?" Sora called out, sensing a distant tremble begin to rise within the cavern. The rocks along the ground began to clatter as the stking grew more violent.

They looked behind them to see the royal guards hot on their trail.

"Run! RUN!" Flynn shouted, leading the way through the tavern. Lifting her hair into her arms, Rapunzel ran after the man, as Sora followed behind, making sure that the guards wouldn't catch up with them.

The winding, twisting passage of the cavern seemed to trail on for miles before it emptied out into a wide canyon, a dam, where a large wooden wall secured off the water from the canyon. As they stood from the high ledge, before them, beyond the one-hundred foot drop to the bottom of the canyon, there was a small tunnel in the rock wall that would make for the perfect hiding spot.

As the three stood on the ledge, the guards approached from behind them. Rapunzel quickly handed off her frying pan to Flynn, before whipping her hair onto a wooden beam above them. She secured her hair and jumped over the ledge, swinging from above like it was a rope before landing on the opposite ledge. Sora, in quick response, leapt from the rock landing, boucned off of the rocky wall and landed just a few feet from Rapunzel.

Now, alone on the landing with the guards right behind him, Flynn decided to fight off the trio on his own. With frying pan in hand, he struck down each of the guards, giving all of them a hard hit on the head. He looked at the frying pan for a quick second, "Oh mama! I have gotta get me one of these."

Using her hair, Rapunzel shot it forward to wrap around Flynn, pulling the man from the ledge and sending him soaring through the canyon. Feeling one with the air and the thrill of flying through the canyon, Flynn hadn't payed attention, which he instantly regretted when his body landed flat against the wooden wall of the dam. The hard hit against the wall caused a few of the wooden pieces to become dislodged, causing water to flood through.

Rapunzel and Sora's eyes widened, as they quickly made their way down the rock landing towards the bottom of the canyon.

Once the wall's wooden structure had been threatened, it was only a matter of minutes before the wall altogether gave out and the dam's water completely flooded the area. Moments later, it happened - the entire all caved in, causing the flood of water to spread through the canyon.

Sora, Rapunzel and Flynn made a mad dash for the small tunnel opening, as the rapid, dashing water caused parts of the canyon to topple over from the sheer force of the flood. Sora, Rapunzel and Flynn made it inside the tunnel just in time before a huge piece of the canyon's rockwork came crashing down, sealing off the cavern, but water still flooded through at a rapid rate.

Their eyes widened when they saw the water begin to fill the small dark alcove. The three quickly rushed up to the back wall of the cavern, where they could try to get as far and high from the water as they coulf, but it was no use. Within moments, the water was already up to their knees. Flynn quickly dove under the rising water, in search of an escape, a way out, anything, but there was nothing. Sealed shut.

Flynn emerged moments later from the water, as he, Rapunzel and Sora began hitting the walls violently, trying to force a way out. Flynn pressed firmly against one of the jagged edges of the wall and when he pushed, the wetness of his hands caused them to slip, scraping against the rock and cutting his hand deep as blood began to gather in his palm. He braced his hand and pplied pressure as he winced in pain.

Rapunzel took a deep breath ready to dive under water, but Flynn stopped her. "It's no use. There's no way out."

Rapunzel whimpered and backed herself up against the rock wall. She looked at Flynn and Sora, sadness in her eyes. "This is all my fault. She was right. I never should have done this. I'm so...sorry, Sora...Flynn..." She let out a few quiet cries that seemed to echo through the cavern,

"It's...it's okay." Sora said, feeling the water rise to his waist. He couldn't help but feel like this couldn't be the end. He had been in worse situations than this and he always amde it out. Could this really be the end for him and his adventure? He was up against Xehanort and his twelve other vessels, there was a Keyblade War on the horizon, he was adventuring through many worlds to find the princesses, but this was how he was going to be taken out? Not today, he thought, before he dove back down into the water to search for an escape.

Rapunzel and Flynn watched as the young man dove beneath the rising water, searching through the flooding dark cavern.

Flynn sighed, watching as Rapunzel cried. "Eugene."

She looked up at him through her tears, "W-what?"

"My real name is Eugene Fitzherbert." He said sincerely, looking at her as a frown appeared across his face, "Someone might as well know."

Rapunzel chuckled to herself, feeling as though she and Flynn were warming up to one another. The least she could do was offer him a secret about herself, too. "I have magic hair that glows when I sing." Both her and Flynn's eyes widened then, "I have magic hair that glows when I sing!"

"What?" Flynn practically shouted.

As the water stared to rise over their heads, Rapunzel began.

 _"Flower gleam and glow, let your powers shine..."_

As the water rose above the three of their heads, Rapunzel's mile long hair began to glow a magnificent golden aura that illuminated the cavern and brought light to the darkness. The hair was drawn to a current that was partially sealed off by water, but when Sora saw the hair shifting towards the small gurgling current, he knew there must have been some form of escape on the other side.

Together, he and Flynn went towards the small pile of rocks and quickly pushed them out of the way, feeling their breath leave them. The rocks gave way and the force of the water shot Sora, Rapunzel and Flynn from the watery cavern and into a running lake that ran adjacent against a forest.

The three emerged from the rippling lake as they gasped for large breaths of air. They climbed over the grassy embankment and recovered there, feeling the breath slowly return to them as their heart rate steadied.

"We made it," Rapunzel said.

Flynn turned to Sora, wide-eyed, "Her hair glows!"

"We're alive!" Rapunzel cheered. "Eugene!"

"I didn't see that coming. Her hair actually glows!" Flynn took Sora by the shoulders, "Why does her hair glow!?"

"I met her the same time as you, I don't know!"

"Eugene!" she called.

"What!?" He replied back, still in shock.

"It doesn't just glow..."

Rapunzel wrapped her hair around his cut hand and warned, "Just...don't freak out."

 _"Flower gleam and glow, let your powers shine,_

 _Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine._

 _Heal what has been hurt, save the fates' design,_

 _Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine_

 _What once was mine"_

When Rapunzel had removed her glowing hair from his hand, Flynn was astonished to see that the cut on his hand had completely healed, not even a scar remained. The glow of the young maiden's hair faded, as Flynn was left stunned.

"Please don't freak out!" Rapunzel reminded him.

"Who's freaking out? I'm not freaking out? I'm just very interested in your hair and the magical properties it possesses" he managed to say all in one breath.

Rapunzel smiled and shrugged, "Come on, it's getting late. We should stake out a spot to make camp so we're well rested for tomorrow night!"

"You wanna camp out here? In the forest?" Flynn questioned.

"Well, have you got a better idea, Eugene?" She turned back to him.

"Um, uh...no, good point. I'll go get some fire wood." He said, following behind her.

"Well, come on, then." She giggled at him, as the two made their way off into the woods together.

Sora smiled, watching the two head off. However, then he heard approaching footsteps come from within the trees. With his guard up, he instantly summoned his Keyblade to his aid.

"Sora!" Donald yelled out.

The Keyblade wielder looked to the side and saw Donald approaching him with Goofy, Kairi and Lea by his side.

"Look who we found!" Goofy cheered

"Looks like you've had quite the adventure." Kairi said with a smile, "Donald and Goofy said you met some friends."

Sora lurched over, still catching his breath, "Yeah, Rapunzel and Flynn."

"The thief?"

"It's...a long story," Sora concluded.

Lea looked up at the golden sky above, "Come on, we should make camp. It's getting late. I'm sure you can tell us everything."

After the group had reconvened, they, along with Rapunzel and Flynn, they had set up a large bonfire and gathered around it. There, Lea and Kairi had become acquainted with Rapunzel and Flynn and together, they had told one another everything that had happened throughout the day - from climbing Rapunzel's tower, to Lea and Kairi's failure to find any of the princesses of heart, to Donald and Goofy's distraction at the Snuggly Duckling to Lea and Kairi encountering Braig outside of the kingdom, though Lea stayed quiet for most of the conversation, something Sora had noticed.

Night had then settled over the forest, as Donald and Goofy began assembling the tents just a few feet away from the bonfire.

"So, I guess this wasn't one of the princesses of hearts' worlds then," Sora concluded.

"Nope." Kairi said, "But it sounds like we won't be leaving until we can help Rapunzel see those lights." She finished with a smile.

"That's the plan," Sora said back, flashing a quick smile to her.

"Good, because I'd like to see them, too." Kairi said, smiling, "As I heard in the village, the lanterns fill the sky...and each lantern is launched with a wish, a dream that the lost princess will return to the kingdom one day. I've heard it's one of the most beautiful sights one could ever see."

Sora smiled as he listened to Kairi talk.

"I would love to see it - maybe even, make a wish on a lantern of my own," she replied, tilting her head at Sora.

He smiled back up at her and nodded his head, "Well, we'll find a great spot for you to see them tomorrow night."

Kairi smiled and pushed her red-hair over her ear as she giggled, "I can't wait."

"What do you suppose you'd wish for?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't come true," she said with a smile, "It's just...a dream of mine. You'll...understand some day."

She then retreated back to the tent that Donald and Goofy had set up for her and Rapunzel, flashing Sora a small smile before zipping up the flap and turning in for a good night's sleep.

Across from the burning bonfire, Rapunzel and Flynn sat, deep in conversation.

Flynn turned to Rapunzel, looking at her for a brief moment as the flames flickered against the delicate features of her beautiful face. He looked at her eyes at they watched the dancing flames, as if she'd never seen a sight like it before in her life. She turned to face him then.

He cleared his throat, caught off-guard as she saw him looking at her. "So, u-uh, how long has your hair been doing that glowing, magical thing?"

Rapunzel shrugged and smiled, "Forever, I guess. Mother said when I was a baby, people tried to cut it. They wanted to take it for themselves." She pushed backher golden hair and, just behind her right ear, she revealed a short strip of dark brown hair. "But once it's cut, it turns brown and loses its' power. A gift like that has to be protected. That's why mother never let me..." she sighed, unable to finish her sentence.

"And you're still going to go back?" Flynn's eyes softened.

"No...Yes..." She turned from his and placed her face in her hands, "I don't know." She took a moment to breathe, before she straightened herself, "So, Eugene Fitzherbert, huh?"

Flynn smirked, "Ah, yeah, well..." Rapunzel scooted closer to him as he began, "There was this book I used to read in the orphanage I grew up in, _The Tales of Flynnagan Rider_. Swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, not bad with the ladies, either. He had enough money to do anything he wanted to do, go wherever he wanted to go...and as a kid who had nothing...I would have given anything to live half the adventure that I saw play out."

Rapunzel chuckled and smiled as he spoke.

Flynn straightened and whispered to her, careful not to alert Sora, "You can't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"I won't." she smiled up at him and looked into his eyes.

Flynn could only smile back as she stared at him, the fire flickering against their features for that brief moment where their entire worlds became each other.

Flynn cleared his throat then, "Well, I, uh, better get some sleep."

"Me, too." They got up and went towards their tents.

Sora sat next to the fire now and just a few feet away from him, there was Lea, who carefully brought his hands up to the bonfire, just feeling the touch of the blaze against the gloves of the Organization robe he still wore. It was a feeling he missed. Ever since his heart had returned to him as a normal human being again, he felt like he lost some of the fire within him.

"Lea, are you...okay?" Sora asked, his voice just a whisper against the crackling wood in the forest night.

Lea sighed and laid back, resting against the forest ground, as he held onto his childhood scarf thbat Braig had given him earlier. "I guess. It's been one heck of a day for all of us, hasn't it?"

Sora nodded and rested back, as well. "Every day is an adventure."

Lea gave a small smile and quietly laughed, "It was a lot of fun. All of it's fun...even when we almost get killed."

There was a small chuckle exchanged between the two, as they looked up into the night sky above them, a sea of stars twinkling above.

Lea rested back up, "Heh...I never imagined any of it would be like this. At first, we were on opposing sides, but now we're fighting together. I never thought I'd get to go on a big adventure with you guys."

Sora sat up, too. "Well, I would never say that we were ever truly on opposing sides. I think we've learned there's always more to the story than just what we know."

"That's true." Lea nodded his head and stared at the fire, "I just...didn't think we'd ever be 'close'. Friends, you know?"

"What do you mean? Of course, we'd be friends." Sora's voice faded away then, replaced by another. "You're...you're my best friend."

Lea looked next to him then, and in Sora's place, Roxas sat, staring up at him. He smiled down at his friend. In truth, he knew that it was still Sora he was talking to, but the deep reaches of Sora's heart where Roxas lived had emerged and was brought to the surface, manifesting itself when Lea needed it most.

"You don't just forget about your best friends," Roxas said back with a smile, "And even if you did, it wouldn't last forever."

Lea nodded, "I remember, there was a time when, I wanted to be friends with everyone I met...so I could live on forever in their memories...and yet, when I was in the Organization...I just felt...alone. I didn't have any friends, at least not real ones...or anyone at all, really. I was always alone...and there were times where I felt, well...like I was worthless. A nobody..."

Roxas' smile faded.

"And then I met you and everything changed." Lea said, smiling up at Roxas as a tear slipped from his eye. "We had a blast. Every day...was an adventure...just like with Sora...and for the first time in awhile, I felt like I belonged somewhere special..."

Roxas' smile returned and he nodded, "You do. Right here." Roxas placed his hand over his heart, just as the image of the boy seemed to fade into Sora, then, as the brown-haired young man was sat next to him by the fire again.

Lea nodded, "There's just always a part of me...that feels like I never belonged. When I was little, I wanted to be friends with everyone...because I didn't have many friends to begin with. Then, there was the Organization. Even now, I know I'm a 'part of the team' now, but I'm not close the way you are with Kairi and Riku. Unlike Donald and Goofy, I haven't been there every step of the way. I still am...that part of the group that doesn't belong."

Sora tilted his head and frowned.

Lea sighed, "But when we're having these adventures, me and you, Roxas, the others, it's so much fun...I forget what I'm not." He brought his knees up to his chest, "I forget that I don't belong...but then reality hits me and I realize, I'm...just a nobody, still."

Sora sighed and thought for a moment, before he spoke, "Don't...I don't want you to ever feel that way. You're never worthless." He placed his hand on his friends' shoulder, "Think what you will, but this group wouldn't be the same without you. It's like I said...we're best friends. I know Roxas can feel that, but I can, too, so it must be real."

Lea smiled and looked down at his feet. He let out a small chuckle, "I'm...it really, I...it's just..." He took a deep sigh and scratched the back of his head. "Ugh, I never knew having a heart made it so hard to say the things you wanted."

Sora nodded and showed his friend a genuine smile. "It's okay."

Lea looked away from the fire and back at Sora, "What I mean to say is...thanks for making this nobody feel like a somebody again."

Sora smiled, as Roxas appeared from within him again, "What are best friends for?"

The two looked up at the shining stars from the heavens above, as they watched from the bonfire below.

* * *

On the beach of the realm of darkness, Aqua's back was against the sand, as she heard the lapping of the waves against the shoreline. She faintly opened her eyes...and before her, she saw a young boy that looked familiar.

'Ven...?'

The image faded from her mind. Another vision filled her mind.

'Terra...?'

He was gone, as well. 'I'm supposed...to save...'

She felt the chains of her memories start to unravel as she laid there along the beach, just as the man sitting next to her began to lose her memories, too. She knew, in time, Terra and Ventus would end up as distant, forgotten memories and she would sink further into the darkness, becoming one with the realm.

Her vison blurred as she stared down the beach.

" _How long before someone just...fades into the darkness forever_?"

* * *

Riku and Mickey had endlessly spent the day wandering about the realm of darkness, taking out shadow after shadow, being led down endless paths to oblivion and treading deeper and deeper into the darkness.

"To think- she spent so much time down here," Riku spoke out loud into the darkness.

"I can't imagine what it must have been like for her," Mickey spoke, sadness in his voice.

"We will find her, Mickey!"

"But what if we don't, Riku..." Mickey frowned, "She's been down here for so long. We know the temptation of the darkness...she's been exposed to it for much longer than either one of us have been."

Riku opened his mouth to speak but the words never came.

"Aqua - wherever you are, whatever happened to you all that time ago, I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." Mickey spoke out, "I still have hope. I know you're out there somewhere! We will find the path to you."

Riku then felt a trembling in his hands. "What?"

The King looked over to his friend and watched as the Keyblade of Master Eraqus appeared within Riku's grasps. Mickey's eyes watched as the Keyblade began to glow radiantly. The King placed his hands along the blade's handle next to Riku.

"Wha-" Riku said, his eyes becoming bigger, "Something's happening." The Keyblade glowed with such intensity, it was blinding. An impulse of light shot from Master Eraqus' Keyblade and spread through the realm of darkness. From the keychain at the end of the Keyblade, the two could see something was materializing, but the bright glow blinded them before they could see what it was.

Mickey's eyes grew with hope and he smiled, "I think this is it...This will show us the way!"

The Keyblade begin to rise into the air, lifting Riku and Mickey up with it.

"Hold on!" Riku yelled out to the King.

Suddenly, the Keyblade shot forward through the darkness, carrying Mickey and Riku with it. The blade than let out an impulse of light that seemed to completely engulf the two. Riku and Mickey let out a shout as they were engulfed in the brightness.

Aqua laid on the beach for many hours with Ansem the Wise asleep a few feet away from her. Although her eyes were closed, she had managed to keep herself awake, relentlessly fighting off the nightmares that slept brought her. The peaceful sound of the ocean waves crashing along the sand calmed her. It reminded her of a pleasant place she once visited - a small island, where she had once met two young boys who were best friends. The sound brought her back to a time when things were simpler, before Xehanort's machinations led to the events that would separate her from her friends and bring so much despair and trouble to the worlds.

She felt like a failure. She failed Terra. She was going to fail Ventus.

She was ready to fade away into the darkness around her.

She slowly opened her eyes, looking up at the same dark sky above her, ready to accept the darkness that had threatened her ever since she was a child.

Then, she heard it - the sound of water bubbling from the ocean before her. She sat up, watching as the bubbles formed a few feet off into the sea. The waves churned and crashed against one another, before the sea almost seemed to open up before her. She stood then and ran down to the water's edge, watching with every second as a whirlpool emerged from with sea before her and deep within this whirlpood, a radiant light appeared from deep within, travelling deep from the depths of the world.

"What?" Aqua said, watching as the sea began to glow with a radiant blue light from within the funnel that circled the sea. Then, from deep within the ocean, there was an impulse of light, like a barrier that shot forward on all sides and spread through the world until not a parcel of land was left untouched. The impulse was so strong, it blasted Aqua a few feet away, landing on her back along the sand beach.

She quickly looked at Ansem the Wise, who seemed to awaken upon sensing the radiant light fill the dark world, though he remained silent, ever looking forward. Aqua covered her eyes, feeling the impulses of light ripple their way through the world and spreading to every corner. Then, the light faded and she slowly recovered and sat up, cautiously examining what had washed up against the ocean's shoreline.

There, where the dark ocean met the sands of the beach, Riku and Mickey were, as the waves gently crashed over them.

Aqua slowly rose, her eyes in disbelief. Next to the two was her and her Master's Keyblade - the very same she had directed to Sora. For the first time in a while, she felt the light return to her eyes and a smile grew on her face.

Mickey and Riku slowly recovered from the whirlwind trip to their destination and caught their breath as they stood.

"Mickey?" Aqua whispered.

Mickey looked up from the beach and smiled when he saw the lost Keyblade wielder there, "Aqua!"

"Mickey!" Aqua happily cried, tears in her eyes as she felt her heart race. She ran down to the beach, as the two met her halfway and ran up to her. She took both Mickey and Riku's hands, happiness in her eyes.

"We were looking for you!" Mickey cried.

Riku continued, "We couldn't find you!"

"I'm sorry we took so long!" Mickey cried out ecstatically, as the reunion seemed to fill the beach with light as the three were overjoyed. All three of them seemed to speak over one another, as their joy rose. "I'm sorry for everything!"

"It doesn't matter! You're here now!"

"We were saving the worlds!"

"More than once!"

"It's been so long! Riku, you're all grown and a Keyblade wielder now!" Aqua cried, recalling meeting the boy and his young friend on the beaches of their home some time ago.

"Sora, too!"

Aqua shuffled her feet ecstatically, her mouth open as she breathed out from the excitement. "How did that happen? How did you get here!?" she cried out happily.

"It was this." Riku raised Master Eraqus' Keyblade. "I believe this is yours."

Aqua took the Keyblade of her master in in her hand and was astonished at what she saw. There, dangling from the end of the Keyblade's keychain, were three star pendants.

The Wayfinders of Terra, Ventus and Aqua.

The three wayfinders were together again and deep in her heart, she knew - she, Terra and Ventus would find a way to be together again, too.

With tears in her eyes, she looked up from the beach and stared out at the open ocean.

"There's always a way."


	5. And At Last I See the Light

**Chapter Five - And At Last I See the Light**

"How could this have happened?" Aqua sat on the beach, her knees curled up to her chest after she reunited with Mickey and Riku. She listened to the two talk for an hour on the beach. "Xehanort has...split his heart and has...created an army of thirteen darknesses?"

"To battle against seven lights in an attempt to begin a new Keyblade War and forge the X-Blade," Riku said.

"The X-Blade..." Aqua said out loud, "He tried forging it once before - with Ventus...and the masked boy, Vanitas."

"I remember, Aqua. Back at the Keyblade Graveyard," Mickey nodded.

"Vanitas?" Riku questioned.

Aqua nodded, "Yes. The darkness extracted from Ventus' heart. Xehanort had brought Ventus to my master when he was only just a boy - after he had pulled the darkness from him and it took the form of Vanitas - a young man filled with so much despair and hatred. When Ventus and Vanitas were re-joined together again, the X-Blade had been forged..."

"But it didn't last." Mickey tried to re-assure, "Because Ventus challenged Vanitas deep down in his heart and won...but he fell into a deep sleep and never awoke."

"Alseep?" Riku turned to Aqua with a frown on his face, "Where is he?"

Aqua sighed and looked out on the lapping waves of the dark ocean, "He's safe, sound asleep inside a secret chamber in my home world. Xehanort...he destroyed my home. When I had returned with Ventus, I had used my Master's Keyblade and my home was transformed into a mysterious castle filled with many endless floors and white halls."

"A castle?" Riku matched the description of the place exactly to the same castle he had visited with Mickey once before, "Castle Oblivion."

"Right! Castle Oblivion," Mickey agreed, "Ventus has been there all along? Why, Riku and I, Sora, Donald and Goofy, too, we've all been there. We've uncovered every floor...but we never came across him."

"He's hidden away deep within a secret room of the castle." Aqua closed her eyes and lifted her master's Keyblade, "Master Eraqus told me that only I would be able to be the one to unlock the truth and mysteries of that castle and open the path to Ventus."

"I would say it's time we've awoken him then," Riku nodded.

Aqua sighed, "But even when we do find him, he's still asleep. I can't awaken him. I don't know how. It's like his heart..."

"Like his heart had been lost to him," Riku finished. "I know. One of my good friends, Kairi, when she had lost her heart some time ago, she fell into an endless sleep, one that she would only awaken from when her heart had been returned."

Mickey turned to her, "Aqua, do you have any clue where Ven's heart might be?"

Aqua thought for a moment, but shook her head. "I don't know. He's been asleep for...so long. When I secured him there, I...never thought it would be this long."

Riku sighed and frowned, "And when he awakens...we'll be in the middle of a war. If he awakens..."

"Aww, Riku, I'm sure Ven will wake up soon," Mickey tried to re-assure. "He's one of our seven lights needed to battle against Xehanort."

"Seven lights," Aqua stated, matter-of-factly.

Mickey nodded, "Yup. From Master Yen Sid's many reports on the Keyblade War, when the original X-Blade was forged, it was split apart into seven lights and thirteen darknesses, so all the pieces need to be brought back together again for the X-Blade to re-form."

Riku sighed, "It sounds easier to just...not fight because then at least he won't be able to get the X-Blade, but sadly, we have no choice. We have to fight him. It seems almost inevitable."

"Who are these seven lights?" the blue-haired mage asked.

Mickey began, "Well, there's me and Riku, you, Ventus, Sora, either of our friends Kairi and Lea and Terra."

"No. Not Terra." Aqua said with a frown.

"Hm?" Mickey looked at her, confused.

"He's already under Xehanort's control." She lowered her head and closed her eyes, "After I had left Ventus, I returned to Radiant Garden and I found him - only he'd become a different person. Xehanort's darkness had...taken root in him. It was like...staring at a younger form of Xehanort, himself. His heart had left him, too...just like Ven. He wasn't the Terra I knew...now he's just another one of Xehanort's vessels."

Riku sighed, "One of many of them."

"I don't understand it. How could all this happen? How could one person...destroy so many lives?" Aqua slumped down. Thinking about how the outside worlds seemed to fall apart over the years due to Master Xehanort's machinations felt crippling to say the least.

Mickey frowned, "Aqua, it's not your fault. We can't...prevent what we can't predict. But...but the light always wins. Both Riku and I, we've faced the darkness and fought it head on. The light always won."

She then began to feel embers of anger building within her over what her enemy had been doing over the years - events she was unaware of having been trapped deep within the dark realm. She knew the endless years there had begun to tear down her beliefs that the light would ever prevail. It was just another ailment that came with being trapped in the dark - one began to believe the dark was more powerful.

She pouted, "I thought that once, too. I thought the light always found a way to win over the darkness...but it doesn't. I know it might be different for the two of you, but I've challenged the darkness and haven't found a way to escape it. My experience is different. That's all I can go on. And all I want is Terra and Ven back."

Riku and Mickey stayed silent, not knowing what to say.

Aqua gritted through her teeth, "I should have never doubted Terra. I should have just taken him and Ven back home and -"

"You're right," Mickey replied, nodding understandingly, "Then, you'd be together all this time."

Riku nodded, "I know how it feels to be separated from your friends, but you can't give up. We will find a way to defeat Xehanort and we'll all do it together, just like before."

"How can the two of you be so incredibly optimistic?" Aqua almost snapped at them, wide-eyed. "Ever since Terra, Ven and I were separated, the outside worlds, they've...they've...well, they've fallen apart! Xehanort's caused so much pain and harm that could never be undone!"

Mickey and Riku frowned when they saw the young woman's anger come to the surface.

"I've lost Terra and Ven and my master and my home! Countless people have lost their homes and their lives and their families and friends and those are things that no one can bring back no matter how many darknesses we defeat!" Aqua sighed out, overcome by emotion. "When does the loss end? When are there no more endless battles?"

From across the beach, the man on the rock stood from his still spot and made his way over to the group. Although the three sat on the beach for an hour now, they hadn't paid the man any mind until he began to approach them. Riku and Mickey recognized the Organization robe the man was wearing, as they themselves were wearing the same robe.

Riku and Mickey stood from the sand beach when they saw the approaching figure, believing it to be one of the many vessels of Xehanort.

"Wait, it's okay." Aqua assured and stood up with them, "He's a friend."

Riku and Mickey turned back to the man and watched as he lifted his hood from his head, his familiar face and sleeked back blonde hair coming into view in the moon's light.

"Ansem the Wise?" Mickey said when he saw his former companion.

"You know him?" Aqua asked.

"Yes, he was a companion...and friend to both Mickey and I not too long ago," Riku said and turned back to the man, "Ansem, how did you end up here?"

The man stared down at the younger man, an almost blank stare in his dull eyes. "An...sem...?"

Mickey tilted his head and looked up at the former comrade he had once befriended at Radiant Garden many moons ago. "Ansem?"

Aqua stepped up to them, "He might not remember."

Mickey and Riku looked up to the blue-haired master, "What?"

"Ever since I found him here on this beach, he's slowly been losing what little memories he had left. He doesn't remember his name...or his home or much of his past," Aqua said.

"Memory loss. That seems to be a common affliction with many of us," Riku mused.

Mickey turned to the man, "Gosh, Ansem...you remember Riku and I though, don't cha?"

The blonde-haired elder looked down at the King for a long moment, as if sensing the familiarity in Mickey's face before he sighed, "I...do not."

"Oh," Mickey's brows furrowed and he frowned.

Riku pouted, "But maybe once he leaves the realm of darkness, his memory will come back to him? We can at least help him with that, right?"

Aqua mustered a small smile and nodded, "Right. Well, it won't help him any if he stays here any longer. So, do the two of you know a way out of here?"

"Ah, well..." Riku began, scratching the back of his head. In truth, their priority had always been to find Aqua, but now after having accomplished that task, they realized that they got themselves locked in a prison without having the key to get out.

"Well, we could try this," Mickey said, pulling out his Star Shard from within his robes and showing it to Aqua and Ansem.

"What's that?" Ansem questioned.

"It's a magical star that can take people from one world to another. It's like the gummi-blocks used to create ships to travel between worlds, except this star works on its' own," Mickey explained. "Alone, it might be impossible, but together, we might have enough power to charge this thing up and get us out of here."

"It's worth a shot," Aqua smiled and nodded.

Each of them took hold of the star in Mickey's gloved hand. Once all four had gathered their energy and focused it into the star, they felt the object began to shake before an immense glow came from within it. The glow was so bright, it pierced through the darkness.

The light fiercely struck Aqua and seemed to blast through her, like a force taking the wind right out of her. Within moments, she felt dizzy and then drowsy and before she knew it, she felt her head hit the sand as she lost consciousness.

* * *

In the hidden room of the distant castle, the young boy slept, but now, with his friend by his side.

Aqua slowly opened her eyes, blinded by the bright white of the walls. It was a room she recognized instantly, one she hadn't seen in over a decade and yet, nothing had changed.

"I wondered how long it would be 'til you got here."

She looked to her left and at the throne chair at the center of the chamber, her friend looked down at her with a smile.

"Ven..." she breathed out with a smile, feeling tears begin to fill her eyes.

He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Is...is this real?" Aqua asked, "Or just another nightmare?"

Ven shook his head and sat up in the throne, "No, not a nightmare...but not exactly real, either. Not yet."

"Oh." Aqua lowered her eyes, slightly saddened. She tried to muster a smile, "Well, at least...you're stll with me in my dreams."

"Aqua, when can I wake up?" Ven asked her sincerely. "I've been sleeping for so long. "

"I know, Ven. I'm so sorry." Aqua kneeled down in front of him and took his hand, "I didn't realize it would take this long. I wanted to save you sooner...but...I couldn't."

"It's okay," Ven smiled, "Just knowing you're trying is enough. I guess a few more nights of sleep wouldn't hurt."

"Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead," Aqua smiled and let out a small chuckle. "I just hope you'll be okay."

"I'll be fine, I'd be more concerned about you," Ventus lowered his eyes and pouted.

"Why?" she asked.

"I heard what you said, you know. About you starting to believe that the darkness would win over the light." Ven sheepishly lowered his head and shrugged, "I know that's not what the master would have taught you. He wanted you to bring me and Terra back home so we could all be together again."

Aqua opened her mouth to speak, but a sigh escaped from her instead. "Ven, I've watched the darkness take you and Terra, the master, our home. We had so many memories and dreams - now all destroyed by the darkness. I don't know what to believe in anymore."

Ven sighed, "I'm not asking you to believe in the light or the dark. I'm asking you to believe in me."

She faintly smiled and nodded, "I can do that." She ruffled his spiky blonde hair, "I promise I'll get Terra and you back home safe and sound."

"Good," Ven replied, content.

"Ven, but I don't understand. Why am I seeing you here now when you're asleep?" Aqua asked.

Ven let out a small chuckle, "Silly, I told you - although this is just a dream, my heart wanted to reach out to yours."

"Your heart?" she asked.

"Yes, it might be far away from me now, but it called out to yours - to tell you not to give up."

"Ven, where is your heart?" Aqua asked and released the boy's hand.

"It's with a young boy. He helped me when I needed it most and now, I'm going to help you, Aqua," Ven said.

"Who is he?"

"He's the key...to returning everyone's happiness - Sora."

Aqua smiled. She knew it was him before Ven even had to say. He was the key that connected everyone. He was where Ven's heart was. "...Sora."

"I have to go back to sleep now. Don't take too long, okay?"

"I won't. I promise."

Ven sat back in his throne and rested his head back. "I figured you could use a little hope...to help you...see the light...beyond the darkness." He let out a tired yawn, "Don't give...up, Aqua. I want to...go back home...to you...and Terra." He slowly shut his eyes, as he was once again claimed by sleep. "I...miss...you both."

Aqua sighed and ruffled her hand through his spoky locks, "Me, too, Ven. Me, too."

When the boy had fallen back asleep, Aqua rose to her feet, wondering how many minutes would pass before she was pulled from the vision and would find herself back in the realm of darkness alongside Riku, Mickey and Ansem.

To her surprise, she saw a form emerge standing next to Ven's sleeping form. She only caught the image of the form for a brief moment, but she knew exactly who it was. It was the last person she saw before falling through the portal of darkness.

Before her, Terra's Xehanort-possessed body stood next to Ventus and his appearance was just as she remembered - the white hair, the emotionless, golden eyes, but somehow, deep down locked away inside, remnants of Terra still remained. Oddly, this possessed form of Terra which Aqua had faced countless nightmares of didn't seem threatening or menacing at all. In fact, it almost seemed to welcome her appearance and smile at her.

"We'll show you the way." The man spoke, but she knew it was Terra's voice coming from within.

Then, both he and Ventus were gone, and in their place - their Wayfinders clattered against the white floor.

It was the last thing she saw before her surroundings faded to black.

* * *

Aqua lifted her head from the sand of the beach and looked up, seeing Riku, Mickey and Ansem staring down at her.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Riku looked down at the young woman, concerned

"Y-yeah..." She stuttered.

"It didn't work," Mickey frowned, looking down at his Star Shard before he placed it back in his pocket. "It wasn't strong enough to take us from the realm of darkness."

Riku scanned the dark beach, "Or maybe something is just really trying to keep us from leaving."

"We'll have to find another way."

"Sora..." Aqua whispered out. "Sora - he's the one. He can...help us awaken Ven."

Mickey tilted his head, "How do you know?"

Aqua rose to her feet to join the three, "Ven, he just...came to me in a dream. He said his heart was...'with' Sora - that he was the key that...connected all of us. I know it's just a dream, but...I'm certain. Sora can help."

"Sounds like his kind of job," Riku smiled. "If that's the case, we need to find another way out of here if we wanna rescue Ven sooner. We should start moving."

"Right." Mickey said, before turning to the young woman, "Aqua, I know you are uncertain of the powers of the light and the darkness, but we need to keep fighting on if it means saving everyone and setting things right."

"I know." Aqua spoke quietly, "I may not believe in the light like I used to, but I believe in them - Terra and Ven. I won't give up."

Mickey smiled and continued behind Riku and Ansem as the three made their exit from the beach.

"I'll keep fighting." Aqua said, taking a few steps forward before she felt another presence on the beach behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder and for a quick second, she saw him again. Terra's possessed body stood there, his white hair contrasting against the darkness, as his golden eyes pierced through the night, staring directly at her.

"Terra..." she breathed, whispering out to her friend. It pained her heart to see him this way - this distorted, Xehanort-infused version of himself which corrupted and took over his body. She hoped that deep down somewhere in him, an ounce of the man she held dear was still hidden away...somewhere.

"Aqua, are you coming?" Mickey called back to her.

She turned back to the three. Although, they were only a short distance away, they could have easily seen the possessed Terra from the sandy edge of the beach and yet, they seemed to look straight through him.

"Are you okay?" Riku called out.

She stuttered, "Y-yeah." The three resumed walking as she turned back to look at her lost friend. 'Why couldn't they see you...but I could?' she thought to herself. The vision of Terra slowly faded from the beach then and Aqua found herself alone on the dark beaches for what would be the final time.

She stood there for just a moment longer, staring at the spot where her beloved had just stood, an ounce of hope in her heart that he would return, but she knew time was of the essence. Her friends, Sora and the outside worlds needed help and Xehanort needed to be stopped and she was now, more than ever, ready to fight for her friends and for herself. She was ready to fight back against the darkness that threatened and had almost consumed her for so long.

She was ready to escape from the realm of darkness and she was going to do it today.

"We'll show you the way..." Aqua whispered to herself, recalling the word's that the possessed Terra had spoken to her within her dream.

She quickly trailed after Riku, Mickey and Ansem, as the four began to search for an escape from the darkness, hopefully never to return.

* * *

The late morning soon rose over the forest, as the sunlight broke through the tangled branches and leaves above. By the extinguished bonfires, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea and Rapunzel slept soundly as the morning birds chirped above. It was Rapunzel's birthday and that evening, the sky would be filled with the floating lanterns. It was always her dream to see them - and tonight, that dream would come true.

The silence of the morning woods was soon broken by the shrill shouting from Flynn, which instantly caused the group to awake by the sudden scream.

"What's ha-" Kairi rose up, rubbing her eyes.

"Flynn's gone!" Sora said, seeing the missing spot where he had slept.

"Oh, no! He could be in danger!" Rapunzel said, rising to her feet and running in the direction of his voice. "Flynn!"

"No! NO! Let me go!" Flynn yelled out, as Maximus, the royal horse and now, Flynn's newfound nemesis, pulled him through the dense forest by his boot. He desperately tried grasping onto the grass or the rocks, anything he could to pry himself from the mouth of the horse.

Rapunzel ran up to Flynn and took him by the arms, trying to use all her strength to release the man from the horse. "Give me him!"

Maximus let out a loud neigh, as he clamped his teeth down harder when the young woman started to pull.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Flynn said, just as Sora and the others followed after Rapunzel. His boot became loosened and soon, Flynn was sent flying through the air, landing with a large thud just a few inches away from Rapunzel, who also fell back.

Maximus charged towards the thief but was met by Rapunzel who outsretched her arms in front of him as a means of trying to protect Flynn and subdue the horse. "Whoa, whoa! Settle down! Easy, boy! Easy."

Maximus' temper was then subdued by the calming instructing of the young blonde. He respectfully listened to Rapunzel and gained control.

"Aw! You're such a good boy!" Rapunzel cooed, as she rubbed the underside of his neck. "Yes you are!" She pouted, "You all tired from chasing this bad man all over the place?"

"Excuse me?!" Flynn called out offended.

Maximus pouted and sadly nodded.

"Nobody appreciates you, do they?" Rapunzel gently placed her arms around his neck, "Do they?"

"He's a bad horse!" Flynn defended.

"Oh, he's nothing but a big sweetheart," Rapunzel released the horse from her embrace and turned back to Flynn.

Sora smiled and placed his hands behind his head, "Wow, she could train him really well. I think she could teach you a few things, Donald."

Donald tapped his foot, "What are you talking about? With who?"

Sora looked over his shoulder where the shadow sat. "Spooky. Who else?"

"Oh, brother." Donald scoffed, "I still say we just leave him behind somewhere. Confounded Heartless."

Spooky leapt off of Sora's shoulder, bounced into Lea's hands, jumped back up into the air and kicked Donald in the face, landing on the floor where the shadow happily danced.

"Wak!" Donald shook his head, wide-eyed. He stomped up towards the shadow, anger in his eyes as he lifted his foot up, "Stupid, stupid Heartless! I'm gonna-"

"Stop!" Sora reached down and took Spooky in his hands, placing it back on his shoulder. "My point exactly. Sorry, but Spooky is staying with us for good whether you like it or not."

"Come on, Donald. Spooky isn't like the other Heartless," Kairi persuaded.

"You just gotta give him a chance," Goofy added.

Spooky stuck his tongue out at Donald and happily smiled to itself, before it turned its' back to the duck and perched itself on Sora's shoulder, content.

Donald tapped his foot impatiently, "Hmph..."

Rapunzel turned her attention back to Maximus. "Look, Today is kind of the biggest day of my life, and the thing is, I need you not to get Flynn arrested. Just for the day...and then you can chase each other to your heart's content. Okay?"

Flynn and Maximus stood face-to-face. Neither one of them seemed thrilled at the deal.

Rapunzel tilted her head and her lips thinned, "And it's also my birthday. Just so you know."

Maximus and Flynn agreed to put aside their differences just for the day, but only if it meant helping Rapunzel fulfill her dream.

The sudden sound of bells began to echo through the forest from the nearby village.

"What's that?" Sora asked out loud.

"The village is near," Lea said, "It's just a few paces north up ahead."

"I'm guessing the entire village is preparing for the lanterns," Kairi added, "We should head on over to check things out."

"Come on, let's go."

The group quickly chased after Rapunzel, who excitedly made her way to the entrance of the village.

They made it to the bridge that led up to the castle.

Rapunzel excitedly crossed the long, narrow bridge that led way to the village. A tall archway marked the end of the bridge and the entrance of the village. She gasped when she saw the tall, beautiful castle atop the mountain at the heart of the village. Sloping down the sides of the mountain were small village houses and lush trees that only added to the grandeur and beauty of the castle that stretched high into the sky above everything.

Rapunzel turned back to the group, unable to contain her excitement. "Wow!" Her eyes were wide and she had a huge smile on her face, having never seen such a sight in her life. She continued down the bridge and closer to the entrance of the village, her long blone hair trailing behind her.

Flynn walked behind the blonde and spotted yet another 'WANTED' poster of him. He casually took it down before anybody could see, yet Maximus just gave the thief a stern look.

"Wow, they're not kidding around, Flynn," Sora said and turned to the thief, "Are you sure it's a good idea for you to be here? There's probably quite a few guards around. You could get caught."

"Well, well, look at you, spiky. Here you are getting all 'caring' about me." FLynn smirked, "What happened? I thought you thought I was a bad guy."

"Come on, Flynn. I know a bad guy when I see one and you're not one," Sora smiled, "Just maybe cut back on the thieving for a little bit."

Flynn chuckled, "Thanks, Sora. And hey, don't worry about me. This town is so busy today and there's so much going on, I can't imagine the guards would be pushing their way through crowds when they could just take it easy."

They made it across the bridge and into the heart of the village, where Rapunzel gasped when she saw the sights of the village square. The center of the village was bustling with people as they prepared for the evening ahead. Purple flags of the kingdom's royal crest draped from building to building, dangling above the village streets. The village was filled with all different types of shops. There was libraries and bakeries, paint shops, stores containing countless artifacts and many other unique things to see. The group took their time exploring the many offering of the village while they had the chance to do so.

As the group made their way through the village, they took in all the sights that the village had to offer in the late afternoon.

"If you would just mind me a sec, I gotta check something out," Flynn said, excusing himself.

"Where are ya off to?" Goofy asked.

"Just gotta make sure blondie has a good view of the fireworks tonight," he said, before making his way off.

Sora placed his hands behind his head, "I guess we'll have to be on the lookout tonight to make sure no guards or Heartless ruin things for Rapunzel and Flynn."

"Gawrsh Sora, don't worry, we'll be on the lookout," Goofy said.

Lea nodded, "You guys stay in town. I'll make sure the two lovebirds have a good time. And no - I'm not talking about you and Kairi, Sora."

Sora blushed and Kairi covered her mouth to hide a giggle.

The team's brief conversation had distracted them long enough for them to realize that Rapunzel had wandered away from the group.

It was then when Rapunzel had come across a mosaic portrait of the King and Queen of the kingdom and in their arms, was their newborn daughter. She rose her eyebrow and tilted her head at the sight, feeling an uncanny familiarity rise within her heart. She couldn't help but feel like the people in the mosaic felt familiar.

She was soon taken out of her thoughts, when she saw her new friends gathered by the fountain in the center of the village. As the sun started to set and cast an orange glow over the village, she knew that it would almost be time to see the lanterns and her heart filled with excitement, anticipation and somehow, nervousness.

"To the boats!" One of the townspeople called out and people began scurrying to their places to prepare for the evening.

Rapunzel made her way over to Sora and the others, where Flynn met back up with all of them.

Flynn approached her and took her hand, "Hey blondie, I got us a boat. Figured if we're gonna see the lights, better get you the best seat in the house."

"Really?" Rapunzel's eyes gleamed, as she smiled up at him. "You...did that for me?"

"Of course. We got this far, I'm making sure your dream comes true," Flynn said back with a smile.

"You guys better get going," Donald said, "People are starting to get ready."

"I'll make sure you guys are all set," Lea said, leading them off to the docks.

Flynn took Rapunzel's hand and led her down the steps that led down to the wooden pier. She looked back at Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy and smiled at them for helping her be able to live out her dream.

"Thank you."

She went down to the pier and followed Flynn into the boat, as Pascal perched himself on her shoulder. Lea carefully stabled the boat as the two got in.

"You guys enjoy it," Lea said, unfastening the rope as Flynn grasped the paddles. He gently pushed the rope from the dock, "We'll make sure we have everything covered here."

"Thanks." Flynn smiled, as he began rowing away towards the center of the lagoon that spread around the village.

"Thank you!" Rapunzel called back, before staring at Flynn. She looked up into his eyes and felt her heart race when he smiled back at her.

Lea watched as the two began to sail off, looking at the way Flynn and Rapunzel had stared at each other. He smirked to himself and rubbed the back of his head, "Hmm, love. Wonder what it feels like. Seems...difficult."

"Hm, well, if it was easy, everyone would have it," Kairi said, walking down the steps and taking Lea by surprise.

"Whoa! Come on, no sneaking up on me like that!" Lea said, crossing his arms.

"Guess you didn't realize you were speaking out loud." Kairi said with a giggle before staring off at the direction of Rapunzel and Flynn. "They look happy."

A small smile appeared on Lea's lips, "Hm, yeah. I guess that's what love looks like."

"It is." Kairi nodded and crossed her arms behind her back.

"Hm, and how is that?" He turned to face her, "Someone feeling a little love in the air?"

"Maybe." Kairi said and smiled, "You'll find out one day, some day."

He smirked, "So, what are you doing down here? I thought you'd be up in the village with the others to prepare for the lights."

"I know, but..." She went over to the steps and picked up the item she had placed on the ground. She showed Lea her own floating lantern, "I have a dream of my own, too."

"You want me to light this thing?" He asked.

"No, not yet. There's just something I want to do first," she said and pulled a marker pen from her pocket. She began drawing on the lantern, carefully making sure each trace of the marker was perfect to match the image she remembered.

"What are you doing?" He asked looking over her shoulder.

"It's my dream." Kairi said with a smile, as she finished the final detail of the image she drew. "There, it's finished."

"Hmm, looks good to me." Lea said with a smile, "I think this is one dream that'll come true, too."

Kairi smiled, looking at the lantern, "Okay, let's light it."

Rapunzel and Flynn were at the center of the lagoon, the village and the castle standing brilliantly before them. As Rapunzel looked up into the many twinkling stars in the night sky above, Flynn couldn't help but stare at the young woman and found her amazement at the usual, every day sight to be endearing.

The night was quiet and still and the boat gently rocked along the water's surface.

Rapunzel stared up at the castle and sighed when she felt the feelings of excitement and nervousness come to the service. Her eyes gazed down to her reflection in the water over the boat's edge.

"You okay?" Flynn asked.

"I'm terrifed," she replied back, frowning.

"Why?"

"I've been looking out a window for eighteen years dreaming about what it might feel like when those lights rise into the sky." She stared up into the many stars above, "What if it's not...everything I dreamed it would be?"

Flynn softly smiled, "It will be."

She finally smiled back and turned her head to face him, "And what if it is? What do I do then?"

Flynn tilted his head, "Well, that's the good part, I guess. You get to find a new dream."

She chuckled softly, as the two of them turned to face the castle, staring out at the sky above them.

* * *

The people of the kingdom stood in a large courtyard in front of the castle. The crowd filled the castle courtyard and trailed down the rolling pathway of the village, as people gathered wherever they could, lanterns in hand.

Inside the castle, the Queen gently brushed the King's shoulders and looked up, seeing the sadness and pain in his eyes. To many, it was a celebration of the princess' birthday, but to them, it was just another year gone without their daughter. They wanted more than anything for her to return, but with each passing year, it felt like it would never come. The Queen wiped the tear from the King's face and sighed.

Soon, the King and Queen of the kingdom emerged from within their chambers and approached the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. At the end of the balcony, a lit floating lantern was fastened by a rope to a castle pedestal. Together, the King and Queen took the lantern and released it into the sky. Slowly, one by one, each of the townspeople lit their lanterns. A slow glow emerged from the courtyard, as everyone lit their lanterns in procession after the King and Queen. The glow of the lanterns traveled from the courtyard, winding down the side of the mountain and towards the entrance of the village as everyone lit their lanterns and released them.

* * *

Rapunzel looked over the water's surface when a small flicker of light caught her attention. She looked at the small dot of light, before her eyes widened in realization. She looked up into the sky and saw the single floating lantern floating in the quiet darkness. Although small and not nearly as large as the darkness, the light seemed to shine all the more brighter through the dark.

When she realized the ceremony had started, Rapunzel sprung to her feet and ran towards the edge of the boat, gripping onto the wooden post and holding it close to secure her view. She stared up in amazement as soon, many lanterns begin to appear from the base of the castle. She gasped out, unsure of what to say as the beautiful sight was all she had ever dreamed about and now that it was happening, she was too overcome with emotion and awe to think of anything else.

Slowly, ships from around the village docks, begin to release lanterns into the sky. One by one, the lanterns filled the sky and brought light to the darkness. The lanterns flickered and rose into the air. First, dozens, then hundreds, but with each passing moment, more and more were sent off and soon...

Rapunzel looked out from the boat in amazement as the entire sky before her was filled with thousands of floating lanterns, glowing in the dark. There were thousands that circled and soared through the air, rising higher and higher, each of them spreading light to the darkness above. The flickering lanterns above reflected in the lagoon's surface below and it seemed like her entire world had become drawn into the warm, bright glow of the lanterns as they spread out above the lagoon and filled the entire space around her and Flynn.

It was beautiful.

She sighed, feeling her heart soar at the sight. She dreamily placed her chin against the wooden post of the boat as she stared into the sky above with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. She knew now, seeing the thousands of floating lanterns spread out and encircle the boat, her dream was coming true.

And it was so much more than she would have ever dreamed it to be.

From the town, Sora, Donald and Goofy watched as the lanterns rose above and filled the sky. The lanterns filled the sky and the village more and more as they were sent off.

"Wow..." Sora stared in awe, blindly trailing towards the bridge as the two followed.

"It's amazing..." Donald said, a gleam in his eyes.

Goofy smiled and swirled around, feeling completely surrounded by the lanterns, "So pretty..."

Sora ran along the edge of the bridge to get a better view. Off in the distance, he could see Rapunzel and Flynn's boat. The lanterns completely surrounded them and light the lagoon in their golden glow. It looked amazing.

From his shoulder, Spooky stared up into the light above as the Heartless' yellow eyes softened at the beautiful sight. He reached up towards the floating lanterns, as if wanting to embrace the light and pull it back down to earth to surround him.

From the bridge, Sora stared off into the endless sky of lanterns. One lantern floating towards the bridge caught his attention as he extended out his hand to it. The lantern gracefully went to his hand and floated there above it.

But then, he saw that this one was different than all the others, as it had been decorated and artwork had been drawn on it. He pulled it closer, smiling, knowing instantly that it was Kairi's.

There, on the surface of the lantern...was a drawing of Sora and Kairi sharing a paopu fruit together - the same that had been drawn on the cave walls of the secret place back at their home on the islands.

His smile grew bigger, knowing that somewhere, Kairi had set off the lantern and out of the thousands, it somehow managed to float its way to him. He lifted the lantern up and watched as it ascended into the sky, making the same wish on it that Kairi had done. He watched as the lantern joined the countless others that floated above.

At that same moment, Flynn took Rapunzel's hands and stared into her eyes, feeling his heart overcome with warmth for her. She stared back and took his hands into her own, holding him gently, as her heart glowed with the same feeling. An endless sea and sky of floating lanterns encircled them, as in that moment, their entire world was just each other and the thousands of lights that filled that world.

Flynn moved closer to Rapunzel and leaned forward, pushing a stray golden strand of hair back behind her ear. Her breath caught, as she herself moed her face forward. Flynn gently trailed his hand down to her neck and moved in closer, as she anticipated his kiss with every passing second. He pulled her face closer to his, his heart burning with the desire to show her how much she had meant to him and she wanted the same.

But then, he was caught off guard and paused in place, spotting a flickering lantern on shore next to what looked like his satchel.

Rapunzel noticed his pause and looked at the direction he was staring off in, "Is...everything okay?" She turned back to him.

He took her hand, trying to re-assure her. "Yes. Uh, yes, of course. I just...we should head for land."

"O...kay." She replied, slightly disappointed and confused.

* * *

Sora looked out into the lagoon before him, watching as the floating lanterns' glow faded as they rose further into the sky and left his view. He spied Flynn and Rapunzel rowing off to the opposite shore. "Where are they going?"

"We should go make sure everything is okay," Donald suggested.

"Let's go find Kairi and Lea first," Goofy said.

"Right," Sora said, as the three went back into the village to find their two other friends.

* * *

Flynn and Rapunzel had arrived in the boat along the enbankment just short of the woods.

Rapunzel began to get out of the boat, "Eugene, are you sure everything is okay?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. Everything's fine. There is...just something I have to take care of," Flynn said, stepping out of the boat and onto the marshy land.

Rapunzel stared at him for a long moment, before taking her seat back in the boat, "Okay." She replied with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"I'll be right back," he said to her, before making his way along the marshland along the shore and walking along the rock wall along the shore.

Pascal perched himself onto Rapunzel's shoulder and stared up at the young maiden, worried. She glanced down at him, "It's alright, Pascal."

Flynn passed beyond a few trees, heading to where he saw his satchel. 'It was just a little bit further ahead. How did it get there in the first place?'

It felt like there was a sinking pit in his stomach, like he was walking into a trap...and usually his instincts were correct. 'It'll just be a few moments, she'll be okay,' he thought to himself.

He walked a few more paces beyond the trees when he finally arrived at his satchel, which was perched up on a rock. Just a few feet from the rock, a single boat with a small mast was rocking against the shore. He didn't understand it, though. The last he checked, Rapunzel had hidden his satchel away somewhere within her tower. So, how did it get down here?

He knew then - it was most certainly a trap.

Though, before he could react, the back of his head was met with a large blank of wood, as his vision blurred and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Mother Gothel stood over his form, "Trying to take that flower from me? I don't think so." She took hold of his body and dragged him along the marshland towards the boat.

Rapunzel anxiously awaited by the boat with Pascal. She sat there for a brief moment, looking up at the sky. The lanterns were long gone and the evening turned cold and damp. A low fog settled along the shoreline.

Suddenly, around her, several Heartless soldiers appeared on all sides of the boat, causing the blonde to quickly get to her feet. She reached for her frying pan, only to remember that she had discarded it prior to arriving at the village. "Ugh! Eugene! Sora!" She stumbled over the boat, fear in her eyes when she realized that she was on her own now, against all the terrors and horrors her mother had always warned her about.

Without another moment to spare, she took off from the boat and sprinted along the swampy marshland in a feable attempt to escape the dark creatures. She ran along the moss, leaping over a fallen tree trunk, only for her long hair to become caught on one of the jagged branches. "Agh!" She started pulling on her hair, trying to pry herself free before the Heartless caught up to her.

Just as soon as the Heartless soldiers came into her view, they imploded into dark clouds as Mother Gothel had struck them down with a plank of wood, coming to the aid of the young maiden.

"Rapunzel!" Gothel called out.

The young woman squinted through the fog, seeing the older woman standing there, "Mother?"

"Oh, my precious girl!" Gothel said, quickly rushing up to Rapunzel.

"Mother," Rapunzel sighed in relief, running up to her mother and embracing her in a tight hug.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Gothel asked, as she examined Rapunzel, most specifically, her hair.

"How did you-"

"I was so worried about you, dear. So, I followed you and...Oh, my, let's go before more of those creatures come," Gothel said, beginning to lead her daughter away.

"But mother, wait. My friend, Flynn." Rapunzel froze in her place, "He'll be back soon."

Gothel slowly approached her daughter, a feigned look of sympathy on her face. "Rapunzel. My dear, sweet Rapunzel...he's not."

"What?" she asked.

"As I was following after you, I saw him escape..." Gothel explained.

Rapunzel's eyes widened and she shook her head, "What, no. Flynn, he...he wouldn't do that. He wouldn't just leave me behind."

Gothel sighed, "He did..." She pointed towards the shadowy silhouette of Flynn aboard a boat, sailing along the lagoon and headed back towards the direction of the kingdom docks. "...and he took his satchel with him. That's all he ever wanted, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel stared off across the lagoon, watching as Flynn sailed away with her crown. "Eugene..." Tears began to fill her eyes when she realized what her mother had said was true. The world was truly filled with many things that could hurt someone's heart...and Rapunzel had learned the hard way.

She turned back to her mother, tears falling from her eyes, watching as the older woman outstretched her arms towards her. She wept as she ran into her mother's open embrace, "You were right, mother. You were right about everything."

"I know, darling. I know." Gothel quietly hushed Rapunzel's crying, as she placed an arm around the girl and led her towards the forest - back to the tower where she had spent her whole life.

* * *

Sora pushed his way through the trees and bushes that led the way down towards the beach, "Come on, I saw Flynn just a little further ahead."

"You saw him come down this way?" Lea asked.

"What was he doing?" Kairi continued.

"I don't know. I saw him dock the boat on the coast, so they can't be far."

As the five friends made their way across the swampy marsh, a set of Heartless had appeared and barred their path. "Heartless," Donald and Goofy shouted in unison.

Sora, Kairi and Lea summoned their Keyblade and charged into battle. Sora leapt over one of the Heartless, as Kairi charged towards the creature and struck it away. Lea kicked one of the creatures up into the air, before releasing a ball of fire from the Keyblade which struck the Heartless, causing it to implode in midair. Sora struck his blade down on one of the Heartless and did a combination move, where he spun the Keyblade around, striking the other Heartless up into the air. Lea and Kairi were there to strike down the airborne Heartless before they managed to hit the ground.

"Nice!" Sora commented on their short victory, "Let's go!" They raced along the marsh until they got up to where Flynn had docked the boat.

"No..." Sora said, when he spotted the empty beach.

"There's no one here," Kairi commented.

"No, they were just here." Sora explained and went over to the docked boat along the sands, "Look, this is the boat they were in. Where could they be?" They quickly scanned the area for a brief moment.

"Look," Lea said, pointing out along the lagoon. They followed his finger until they spotted Flynn's silhouette traveling along the waters.

"Flynn?" Sora questioned.

"Looks like his heading back towards the village on a different boat," Lea said.

Kairi shook her head, "No, that doesn't make any sense. Why would he go back without Rapunzel? Wait - where is Rapunzel?"

Donald tapped his foot, "I think something fishy is going on here..."

"Gawrsh, well..." Goofy began, scratching his head, "We should hurry on back to the village docks and see what Flynn is up to."

"Right. We better hurry," Sora exlaimed, leading the way back through the marshland that led towards the bridge into the village.

* * *

As the boat drifted through the fogged-waters, Flynn struggled against the ropes that bound him to the mast of the small ship. He continued to struggle, uncertain of what had happened to him and how he managed to get himself into this situation now. His struggling against the tight ropes was futile and he could only wait til the kingdom guards found him once he arrived at the docks. Then, he'd be thrown into prison for what could be an incredibly long time. 'Great job, Eugene,' he thought to himself.

"Flynn!" He heard a familiar voice call out to him.

He tried to peer through the fog, "Sora?" As the boat sailed closer towards the dock, he saw that Sora was standing there along with Kairi, Lea, Donald and Goofy. But there was no sight of Rapunzel.

"What happened?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know." Flynn continued to struggle, "I was...docking the boat because I saw my satchel there. I went to find it and the next thing I knew, I was out cold. I woke up and...found myself like this."

"Come on, we'll get you out of there," Lea said, as he steadied the boat along the dock and went aboard to free Flynn from his binds.

Flynn sighed and rubbed his chaffed wrists, throwing his satchel over his shoulder, "I don't understand. My satchel was in her tower. She didn't take it with her when we left."

Sora shook his head, "I don't know. She wasn't there when we went to look for you guys."

Flynn's eyes widened, "She's not with you?"

"No. She was gone," Kairi explained.

Flynn kicked the dock in frustation. "No...she probably thinks I...just left her for this stupid thing. I would have never done that." He ran his hand over his forehead and through his hair, feeling ashamed as he thought of what Rapunzel must have thought of himself now. "It was a trap. My satchel was put there to pull me into a trap."

"Well, who else would have known about the tower?" Sora asked.

Flynn nodded in realization, "Her mother. It's her. She took Rapunzel back there - to the tower. She's keeping her there. She set this all up. We have to save her!"

"Come on, back to the tower!" Sora called out, leading the way off the docks and back towards the bridge.

Once the six of them had raced through the village and were met with a small swarm of Heartless, the creatures were fended off as Maximus charged through the village courtyard.

Flynn looked up at the horse, "Max, you're here to help us?"

Maximus confidently smiled down at the thief.

"Thank you." Flynn replied sincerely, "No, really. Thank you. I feel, uh, maybe this whole time...we've just been misunderstanding one another and we're really just..."

Maximus' smile faded, as he shot Flynn a look letting him know he was not to be fooled.

"Yeah, you're right. We should go," Flynn replied simply, before hoisting himself onto the back of the horse.

"Flynn, you go on up ahead!" Sora called up to the man, "We've got your back! We'll meet at the tower!"

"Got it!" Flynn called out, before he and Maximus charged down the bridge and deep into the forest, followed behind by Sora and the others. Flynn and Maximus charged through the woods and made their way towards the tower.

* * *

Riku, Mickey, Aqua and Ansem made their way back through the Realm of Darkness. Mickey and Riku led the way as they retraced their steps that led them down towards the beach. They wandered for a long while down the dark path in silence, the endless, vast darkness before them. The path before them was cracked and fractured, though the broken pieces of land seemed to float in place within the dark abyss.

Mickey looked around through the endless darkness, "Gosh, no Heartless or shadows at all."

"But I can feel the darkness growing and channeling itself into something...or someone," Riku finished and began carefully testing his footing on the fractured path. When he realized that his footing was secure, he led the way over the path.

"These creatures - the Heartless, I've fought them for so long here. I thought that over time they would be vanquished, but they've only grown. they've been affecting the realm of light, too? What exactly are they?" Aqua questioned, as she Ansem by the arm and carefully led the fragile man over the cracked path.

Riku turned back to her, "What the name implies - beings without hearts. Creatures born from the darkness that sieze the hearts of others, even worlds. There's many - some more ferocious than others. The same shadow creatures that dwell in this world are Heartless as well. They're known as Purebloods - pure shadows born directly from the darkness."

"But there are other types of Heartless, Aqua, ones that have an emblem. These Heartless were created and manufactured rather than being born from the pure darkness," Mickey said. "And once they've been created, they multiply and reach as many worlds as they can."

Aqua riased an eyebrow, "Manufactured? By who?"

Riku scoffed, "Who else? Xehanort."

Aqua grunted out, "Of course. He's done everything he could to destroy the lives of others. Why not create some creatures to do it for him? I guess...there's a lot that's changed in the outside worlds and none of it sounds like it was for the best."

"Xeha...nort." Ansem whispered out.

Aqua looked up at the man, "Hm?"

"Xehanort," the blonde-haired man repeated again. "I may not remember much of my past or who I was, but there's one thing I remember - Xehanort."

Mickey nodded, "Ansem, he was your apprentice back in Radiant Garden. He along with the others."

"Yes, I remember," Ansem nodded and closed his eyes, trying to sort through the blank spaces of his memories, "I found him at the town square before the castle and took him in as my own apprentice. His knowledge and power were extraordinary - superhuman, even. It was he, Xehanort as my apprentice, that began experiments of the heart and created the Heartless. I tried to command him to stop, but he wouldn't listen - the darkness had already taken him. As a means of forging my work and taking my name, he banished me through a corridor of darkness to this very realm." Ansem paused and let out a small chuckle, "How unlucky it was to have to return."

Aqua thought for a long moment, "You said...you found him in the square in front of the castle?"

"Indeed," the man nodded.

She sighed and shook her head, "He was using Terra. That 'apprentice' Xehanort...wasn't just Xehanort - it was his heart inside of Terra's body, using it to control him."

"It was Xehanort using Terra all along," Mickey said, "And from that apprentice, Xehanort's Heartless - the Seeker of Darkness- and Xemnas were created."

Riku nodded, "And the rest is history..."

Aqua sighed out, thinking of the confusing situation and how things managed to get like this. "To bring him back...we're going to have to pull him from Xehanort's hold and return his heart. We need to join together his heart, body and will...and then he'll be whole again. He'll be Terra again."

"You could only hope."

The four turned back to the voice that called out to them and saw the foreboding figure behind them.

"You again." Riku said, staring off twards the dark figure. "Xehanort's Heartless."

Aqua stared down the man. If she recalled correctly, this man, this creature, was the being that was created from the infusion between Xehanort and Terra. The man looked like a young adult Xehanort.

Xehanort's Heartless evilly grinned, as he descended down from the air and landed on the ground before them.

"It's you...the darkness of this realm is coursing into you." Riku questioned, "Why will you not leave us alone?"

"Because, I'm here to witness something historic - your futile, meaningless attempt at trying to escape from the realm of darkness."

Aqua's eyes turned angry, "You won't stop us. You're just another vessel of Xehanort's."

The Heartless man's eyes widened and he smirked, "Me, a vessel? No. You must have me confused with the 'real' vessel in the Organization. I am nothing but a wandering nightmare in the realm of darkness."

Mickey breathed out, "A nightmare?"

"Correct - born from the Veil of Nightmares, able to haunt the realm of darkness, forevermore." Xehanort's Heartless taunted, circling around the team.

"If you're just a being from a nightmare, then you can't stop us from leaving! You're not real," Riku called out.

"Really?" Xehanort's Heartless smirked and outstretched his arms. From behind him a plume of darkness emerged and from within it, a dark demon, a guardian, appeared from behind the evil figure. "We shall see."

The man and his guardian blasted towards Riku, who instinctively summoned his Keyblade in front of him. The dark beings and the Keyblade met with a loud clash.

Riku's eyes widened from the attack as images from his dream flashed through his mind again.

He was in the fogged town streets of Radiant Garden, as a figure wearing an Organization robe approached him. Instantly, the two met with the clash of blades as Riku summoned his Keyblade. Their blades continually clashed, fending off one another's attacks and trying to stike the other down before they could attack again. The intensity of the battle was immense, the attacks and counterattacks never ceasing, as sparks flew as the blades clashed.

Riku winced in pain, but before the opponent could approach, he back flipped onto his feet and again, their blades clashed with one another. Riku clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, trying to use all of his power to fend the enemy off and push him back with his Keyblade. As Riku tried to fend off the enemy then, he caught a glimpse into his opponent's glowing golden brown eyes, masked beneath the shadows of their hood.

The glance was soon over though, as within a moment, the battle resumed. Riku encircled his Keyblade in the air, angling it down to strike the enemy - but the opponent had anticipated the attack and blocked the Keyblade with his own weapon, sending Riku's blade flying through the air.

He turned his face around just in time to see his opponent impale their blade right through his chest, a sharp cry of pain escaping him.

The impulse from the blast sent by Xehanort's Heartless and his guardian blasted Riku back. The young man was sent to the floor where he winced out in pain.

"Riku!" Mickey called out and went to the young man's aid. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," he grimaced through his teeth.

Xehanort's Heartless smirked, "So you see, althought just a nightmare, I am very much capable of dealing you real harm. So I don't think anyone will be escaping anywhere today."

Aqua summoned her Master's Keyblade, "What do you want?!"

The dark figure let out a low laugh as he slowly walked around the four, "When you wandered through the realm of darkness, each one of you passed through the Veil of Nightmares and have been plagued with nightmares which you could never escape from while you're in this realm."

Mickey looked up from Riku, concerned.

The man continued, "Aqua, you've had nightmares of the failures of your past." Xehanort's Heartless smirked and went on, "Riku, you've had nightmares of yout battles against the darkness...and your ultimate loss."

Riku gritted through his teeth.

"And you, Your Majesty, you've been plagued by the memories of your previous journeys through the realm of darkness how you couldn't manage to save your friend. Hmph, some king..."

Xehanort's Heartless smiled, "Sadly, it didn't work, did it? Xehanort's darkness is stronger than ever."

With that, the figure's guardian let out a ferocious roar and heaved over Xehanort's Heartless, slamming his fists down hard into the ground.

"Wh-whoa!" Riku stuttered out, watching as the ground before them begin to shake and crumble. The path begin to break and fall apart, crumbling away and falling into the dark, endless abyss below.

"Run! RUN!" Riku called out to the others.

The four of them raced down the path. Aqua looked behind her to see the path behind them rapidly crumbling and breaking down. She printed faster and faster, trying to outrun the path behind her that would send her back down into the darkness.

"You can't run forever!" Xehanort's Heartless called out andc echoed through the darkness.

"Come on! We have to keep going!" Aqua called out, running with all of her might, watching as the path beneath their feet cracked and splintered. Every step they took wasn't getting them any farther away from the crumbling path and they knew, within a matter of moments, the path beneath their feet would give away and fall.

"Look, up there!" Mickey pointed forward as he ran, directing their attention to the swirling purple and red abyss that clung above to the darkness. "That must be the Veil of Nightmares," he said, recognizing it from when he and Riku had crossed through it earlier.

They continued to race forward, the Veil of Nightmares just a few meters away down the path...but the crumbling path falling away right behind them.

Ansem tripped over his dark cloak and fell to his knees. Aqua quickly turned to her side and helped him back up to his feet, watching as the path inched closer to them. "Let's go!"

Though, before she could take another step after Ansem, the ground beneath her feet crumbled away and she felt herself falling. She lifted her arms as she yelled out and was able to latch herself onto the crumbling path.

Again, she found herself holding on for dear life, suspended over the endless darkness.

Riku, Mickey and Ansem had made it to the Veil of Nightmares where she had yelled out, causing them to turn back, believing that Aqua had been right there with them all along.

"Aqua!" Mickey called out when they realized Aqua was dangling there over the ominous darkness.

Aqua continued to struggle, feeling her grip loosen and the ground begin to break apart. Her eyes widened, believing she was going to spend the rest of her life in this darkness, even after she'd been shown a glimmer of hope. She let out a gasp as the ground she clutched onto broke away, sending her falling back into the darkness.

Aqua yelled up as she found herself falling back through the dark void.

Without a moment to spare, Mickey leapt down from the large circular landing beneath the Veil of Darkness and dove head first after Aqua.

"Mickey!" Riku called out down into the void, watching as Mickey disappeared into the darkness after Aqua.

The King was engulfed into the darkness.

Mickey quickly fell through the darkness, swiftly moving through the void to navigate to Aqua. He extended his hand downward to the blue-haired mage. "Aqua!"

Aqua looked up and saw the King there, extending his hand out to hers. She reached up and grasped his hand, pulling him to her, "Mickey! What are you doing!?"

"You fell to the darkness more than once...but I promised myself that I wouldn't let it happen again."

The void of darkness sweeped around and between them, forcing the two apart as they both let out a cry. Mickey was pulled further down into the darkness.

"But Mickey, you'll be trapped! You need to escape, too!"

"And you need to save your friends!" Mickey replied up to her with a slow smile that formed, "Aqua, we need you."

Aqua's eyes softened, "Mickey..."

Mickey pulled his Star Shard from his pocket and focused his energy into it. Within a moment, it began to illuminate a brilliant glow. He smiled up to her and tossed the star-shaped object up to Aqua. "Don't worry about me, Aqua! I'll...find a way!"

Aqua grasped the Star Shard in her hands and nodded, smiling down at the King, "Thank you, Mickey."

"Go!"

The Star Shard was activated and shot up, taking Aqua with it, like a shooting star streaming upwards through the darkness.

Mickey watched upwards with a smile, as he slowly faded into the darkness below. "Aqua, may your heart be your guiding key."

The Star Shard blasted through the darkness above and within moments, she could make out the Veil of Nightmares above her. The shard carried Aqua all the way up to the landing where Riku and Ansem were waiting for them, before she collapsed on the ground and caught her breath.

Riku rushed up to her, "Are you okay?"

Aqua slowly regained her breath and nodded.

"Where's Mickey?" he asked, his eyes wide

She could only shake her head in response.

Riku went over to the ledge of the floating isle and looked over into the endless abyss of darkness - but the King was gone.

* * *

Rapunzel sadly sat on her bed after her mother had taken her back up the tower from the hidden door at its' base.

Gothel gently traced her hands through Rapunzel's golden locks, "There, it's like it never happened. Everything is back to what it should have been and will be." She rose from the bed and went towards the stairs that led down to the main part of the chamber. She looked back over her shoulder, seeing Rapunzel looking so forlorn and sad. "I really did try, Rapunzel. I tried to warn you what was out there. The world is dark and selfish and cruel."

Rapunzel lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"If it finds even the slightest ray of light, it destroys it." With that, Mother Gothel left her daughter on her own.

Rapunzel sadly sighed and fell back onto her bed. 'Back to how everything was before...' As much as a part of her wanted to forget everything about her adventures outside the tower, the floating lanterns, what she was feeling towards Flynn, another part of her just couldn't go back to the way things were now that she had left the tower and explored the world outside her tower.

She pushed her thoughts away and stared up into the murals painted into the domed ceiling of her bedroom.

Something then caught her eye. Her eyes widened as she stared up at the ceiling and one by one, within the murals, she realized, subconsciously, she had been painting the sun - the royal crest of the royal family - into each and every one of her murals. It was the same crest that was on all the flags in the village. It was same crest that was tiled into the pavement of the village. It was the same crest that the King had worn around his neck in the village mosaic portrait.

Her eyes widened in realization. She had been painting these murals all her life. There was the royal crest in each of them. There was a lost princess in the village which she only just learned about. She had been locked away in the tower all that time and every year, there were floating lanterns on her birthday. The young newborn in the village mosaic looked just like her. One by one, each of the pieces came together.

Rapunzel knew - she was the lost princess.

She emerged from her bed chamber and stood at the top of the steps, her eyes wide in disbelief. She panted heavily to herself.

"Rapunzel, what's going on up there? Are you alright?" Mother Gothel called up to her.

"I'm...the lost princess..." the young maiden whispered out.

Gothel sighed, annoyed, "Please speak up, Rapunzel. You know how I hate the mumbling."

"I am the lost princess!" She repeated, direct and loud. An angry glare appeared in Rapunzel's eyes, "Did I mumble, mother? Or should I even call you that?"

Mother Gothel's eyes grew wide, in both fear and anger.

Rapunzel continued to stare her down.

Gothel was taken aback by a quick moment and decided to play it off. She slowly approached her daughter on the steps. She scoffed, "Rapunzel, do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such ridiculous questions?"

Rapunzel angrily pushed Gothel back away from her, "It was you! It was all you!"

Gothel's eyes narrowed as she stared down the young woman, "Everything I did was to protect you."

Rapunzel pushed her way past Gothel and stormed down the stairs, "I've spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power..."

"Rapunzel!" Gothel stormed after the girl down the stairs.

"...when I should have been hiding from you!" Rapunzel angrily finished.

Gothel slowly approached the young woman, "Now, now. Listen to me. Everything will be alright. Everything is as it should be." The older woman went to place her hand on the young woman's golden hair.

Rapunzel's arm shot up and tightly gripped the older woman's arm, squeezing it painfully. "NO! You were wrong about the world! And you were wrong about me!"

Gothel painfully struggled against the tight grip.

"And I will NEVER let you use my hair again!"

Gothel finally yanked and pulled her arm away from Rapunzel, causing the older woman to stumble back from the hard tug away. She fell backwards into a mirror, which toppled over and hit the floor hard, sending shards of glass to shatter along the ground.

Rapunzel defiantly walked away from the woman.

Gothel panted out and whispered to herself, glaring angrily at Rapunzel, "You want me to be the bad guy? Fine, now I'm the bad guy..." She menacingly approached Rapunzel.

Flynn and Maximus charged through the woods and entered through the hidden cove that led to Rapunzel's tower. Once there, Flynn leapt from the horse and ran to the base of the tower.

He called up, "Rapunzel! Rapunzel, let down your hair!" Waiting after another moment of silence, Flynn rushed up to the tower and decided to begin scaling it with his bare hands if that's what it took.

Then, from the window above, Rapunzel's golden locks descended down to Flynn. He tightly gripped onto the golden hair and with all his strength, quickly hoisted himself up the length of the tall tower, rising closer and closer to the window. He heaved himself up through the window frame and climbed inside. "Rapunzel, you had me worried. We have to go! Huh?"

Before him, Rapunzel was bound and a cloth covered her mouth, preventing her from speaking. She desperately pleaded and struggled against her binds, trying to warn Flynn, but it was all in vain.

From behind him, Gothel appeared and stabbed a thin dagger into Flynn's side, quickly removing the blade with a wicked smile across her face.

Rapunzel's eyes widened, as Flynn grunted out in pain and collapsed to the floor.

Gothel stood over the dying man, "Now look what you've done, Rapunzel." She stepped over the man and approached the frightened young woman, "Oh, don't worry, dear. Our secret will die with him."

Rapunzel desperately tried scooting closer and closer to Flynn, still struggling against her bonds.

Gothel stared down at the two, "And as for us, Rapunzel, we are going where no one will ever find you again!"

Rapunzel continued struggling, trying to reach the dying Flynn - the man she had learned to fall in love with.

"Rapunzel! Enough already!" Gothel warned, "Stop fighting me!"

Rapunzel's struggling caused the cloth around her mouth to loosen and fall, "No! I won't stop! For every minute of the rest of my life, I will fight! I will never stop trying to get away from you!" she angrily called out to the woman. Her expression that saddened, "But if you let me save him, I will go with you."

Flynn grunted against the floor, as his life was slowly leaving him. He would much rather die than have the woman he cared so deeply for become a prisoner for the rest of her life. "No...Rapunzel, no..."

"I'll never run. I'll never try to escape," Rapunzel pleaded, "Just let me heal him and you and I will be together, forever, just like you want. Everything will be the way it was. I promise."

Gothel stared down Rapunzel.

"Just let me heal him." She pleaded again, "Please."

"Fine. It's a deal." Gothel wickedly smiled and turned her back to them.

Rapunzel rushed to Flynn, who had pushed himself up against the wall to get into the most comfortable position possible, given the circumstances. She tenderly touched his face, "Eugene."

Flynn grunted and coughed in pain, as he gasped for the breath that was slowly leaving him. He tightly gripped onto his side in despair.

Rapunzel gently went to open Flynn's vest, seeing the thick, dark blood that had gathered from the stab wound and stained his clothing. "I'm so sorry. Everything is going to be okay, though."

"No, Rapunzel. You can't-"

"Everything will be okay. I promise. You have to trust me," she took hold of his other hand. "Come on. Just breathe."

"I can't let you do this," Flynn begged, his eyes closing in pain.

"And I can't let you die," Rapunzel replied back, tears in her eyes.

"But if-"

"Shhh, it's going to be alright." She tried to smile down at him, before she began. She lifted her hands up to him, ready to heal him and say her final goodbye to him.

He weakly rose his hand up to her face, then her hair, "Rapunzel, wait."

Using all the strength he could muster, with one hand holding Rapunzel's hair, his other held tightly onto a shard of glass from the broken mirror pieces along the floor, and effortlessly cut through Rapunzel's hair, separating the mile long hair from the girl.

"Eugene, wh-" Rapunzel gasped, reaching back to touch her shorter, shoulder length hair. The golden hair on her head darkened and turned fully brown.

Gothel screamed out in desperate terror, "NO!"

Rapunzel held onto the remains of her mile-long cut hair, watching as the strands of golden locks turned a dark brown, fully losing its' power.

Gothel desperately scooped the locked of hair up into her arms, hoping to absorb any last power the hair had in them, but it was futile...and her borrowed time was up.

Gothel shrieked, watching as the golden hair turned brown in her hands, "What have you done?" Even more to her terror, her youthly glow deteriorated instantly, watching as the smooth skin of her hand wrinkled and grew old. "What have you done!?"

Her face wrinkled and chipped. Her ebony black hair turned grey, then white and soon, began falling from her scalp. Her eyes bugged out from her head and her teeth started falling from her mouth. Her looks, everything she had prided herself on for centuries, were stripped away in an instant and now, she had nothing to show for herself other than her haggard appearance which truly revealed who she really was deep in her heart.

"No!" She cried out, stumbling over the the shattered glass in the broken mirror. She looked at her broken reflection in terror. Her age had caught up with her so quickly that, by the time she saw her reflection, she looked like nothing but a skeletal corpse. Barely any skin and all bone. "No! NO!"

Unable to look at her horrid appearance, she writhed about and covered her hideous face with the hood of her cloak. She sobbed and thrashed about wildly around the room, feeling her blood wear thin, her legs begin to tremble and cave in and then her eyesight went. She stumbled back in the room, but before she knew it, she tripped backwards and fell through the window of the tower.

Falling head first down to the earth below, Gothel let out an anguished scream as she descended. Her cape flailed around her as she rapidly fell from the tall tower and soon, her screams faded. When the cloak had hit the earth, Gothel had been reduced to nothing but dust.

Sora and the others quickly came upon the tower. "Come on. They have to be up there!"

"This way!" Donald called out, pointing towards the secret entrance at the base of the tower. The five friends climbed the swirling staircase that led the way up the tower but stopped once they reached Rapunzel's room.

There, Rapunzel, with her now short, brown hair, held Flynn in her arms, as he slowly died.

"No..." Sora said, with a frown, "This...this wasn't how it was supposed to be."

Rapunzel gently touched his face, "No, no. Look at me. I'm right here. Stay with me."

Flynn coughed out and deeply exhaled, "Rapunzel."

"What?" Fresh tears began to fill her eyes.

Flynn smiled, as he slowly closed his eyes, "You were my new dream."

She took hold of his hand and touched his face as she cried, "And you were mine."

With that, Flynn's body relaxed and fell limp in her arms, as she cried over his form.

The five friends looked onward, sadly. Kairi turned into Sora, who embraced her as she shed a few tears.

Rapunzel sat there for a long moment, holding Flynn's face close to hers as she cried over the death of the man she loved. She gently brought her lips down to his face.

 _"Heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design_

 _Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine_

 _What once was mine."_

She continued to cry over him, as a single tear ran down her face and fell onto his cheek. The tear was absorbed into his skin and for a short moment, a golden glow appeared where the tear had landed.

Then, from within Flynn's wound, a brilliant, golden stream of light appeared and circled up from within him, spreading in streams through the room.

The brilliant golden light swirled around Sora and the others, as the beautiful warm powers wrapped them in its' glow.

"The power...of the light," Sora said.

The golden light from within Flynn healed his wound and then faded, as Rapunzel stared over him in wonder. Her eyes widened when she felt his body begin breathing again.

Flynn opened his eyes and stared up at her, "Rapunzel?"

"Eugene?"

"Did I ever tell you I've got a thing for brunettes?" A smile stretched across his lips.

Rapunzel immediately wrapped him in a warm embrace "Eugene!" She cuddled up against him that the force of her hug caused the two of them to fall back to the floor. She gripped him by his collar and his eyes wnet wide with surprise when Rapunzel placed her lips on his in a passionate kiss.

"Alright!" Sora cheered. "We did it!"

Donald shouted, "Yes!"

"I knew it couldn't have ended that way," Goofy replied with a smile.

Kairi grinned, "How romantic."

Flynn and Rapunzel broke apeart from the kiss when they realized the other were watching them pretty closely. The two of them let out a nervous chuckle as their newfound friends.

Lea smirked, "Well, don't let us stop you crazy kids. Go at it."

Flynn and Rapunzel let out a small laugh, before the thief tenderly pulled her back in for a soft, tender kiss, something he'd been waiting to do.

Sora smiled at the two, "I'm happy for them."

Then, suddenly within his hands, his Keyblade appeared. "Huh?"

In the alcove above them all, in the vast mural Rapunzel had painted along the ceiling, the visible outline of a painted Keyhole appeared. The painting of the Keyhole solidified and glowed vibrantly, sparkling above.

"A Keyhole!" Donald cheered.

"Gawrsh Sora, it's been awhile since you sealed one of these," Goofy added.

"Wow, a Keyhole." Kairi mused, "I always wanted to see one of these."

Sora lifted his Keyblade to the ceiling above and from within the blade, a pure stream of light shot upward and into the Keyhole. A faint locking sound was heard then. The Keyhole sparkled and illuminated a golden aura for just a moment, before the glow subdued and all returned to normal.

"What was that?" Rapunzel curiously asked, approaching them.

Sora turned to her and Flynn, "Now, this world will be protected from the Heartless. They won't be able to cause much trouble around here anymore."

Flynn smiled and nodded, "So, where are you all off to now?"

Sora smiled, "We'd better be on our way. Still got a big adventure ahead of us."

"Oh!" Flynn's eyes widened, "I almost forgot. Here - your items." He reached into his satchel and pulled out the items he stole from them earlier.

"Ah, yes. This is what started it all," Donald said.

"Hey, now, go easy on me," Flynn replied, playfully holding his hands up in defense, "We're all friends now. We can all look back on this and laugh about it, right?"

"Right." Sora chuckled, "So, now what are you two going to do."

Rapunzel took Flynn's hand and smiled, "I'm...going to go see my parents. I think it's been long enough."

"Hold on. You can't meet them like that." Flynn reached into his satchel and pulled out her crown. He gently placed it on her head and smiled, "There. You're perfect."

Rapunzel smiled back at him, "I'm sure my parents will think the same thing of you when they meet you."

Flynn rolled his eyes, "Oh, geez."

She laughed, "I'm sure you'll win them over, just like you won me over - eventually."

The group let out a laugh.

Sora waved to them, "You two try to stay out of trouble, okay?"

Rapunzel smiled, "We'll try. Thank you for everything. Feel free to return any time you'd like."

"Thank you, we will," the Keyblade wielder nodded back at them.

"And remember, whatever dreams you have..." Rapunzel embraced Flynn and kissed him, "...don't ever give up on them."

Sora and Kairi turned to each other with a smile.

* * *

Riku, Aqua and Ansem looked over the ledge of the isle beneath the Veil of Nightmares and stared off into the deep darkness below where Mickey had disappeared.

"He's gone," Rikue frowned and closed his eyes, "Lost to the darkness."

Aqua sighed and lifted her hand up to her heart, "He sacrificed himself for me - to save me. And give me a chance to save Terra and Ven."

Riku nodded, "We can't let that sacrifice be in vain."

"But it will be," Xehanort's Heartless called out to the three of them and appeared from within the Veil of Nightmares. "I didn't think that annoying King had it in him. I guess he was a true friend, after all. It's a shame you'll never see him again."

"Shut up! I've had enough of you!" Aqua charged from her place and ran directly towards the dark figure, raising her Keyblade up into the air and impaling him through the chest, a dark impulse splattering from his chest.

Xehanort's Heartless' eyes widened in pain then.

Aqua's breath came slow and rough as she stared down the man.

The dark figure suddenly smiled and a dark chuckle escaped from him. "How unpleasant."

He reached down and pulled the Keyblade fully from his chest, no wound left from it. He tossed the Keyblade down to Aqua's feet. "Foolish girl. I'm nothing but a living nightmare. You can't defeat me."

Riku turned to Ansem and warned, "Stay back. I'll take care of this." He summoned his Keyblade to his grasps and charged forward to stand next to Aqua.

Xehanort's Heartless smirked and tilted his head in admiration at the duo's decision to fight, "Ah, so it's a fight you desire? Hmph." From behind him, his dark guardian was summoned and let out a ferocious roar.

Riku charged forwards towards the dark man and rose his Keyblade up in the air, swinging it down onto the man, but whatever damage that was done, was instantly healed from the dark man. Xehanort's Heartless let out a dark laugh and his guardian emerged in front of him, swinging his fist into RIku and tossing the young man back.

Xehanort's Heartless turned then to face the other older man in the group, "Ah, the original Ansem - Ansem, the Wise. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. It'd be even more pleasing to kill you."

Ansem approached the man and closed his eyes, "Although just a shell of my apprentice, I know whatever form Xehanort might come in - is a form built on ignorance with a non-existant heart.

"Hmph, you never stood a chance against Xehanort and your apprentices. They dared to do what you never would," Xehanort's Heartless laughed, "And now, look at you. You're nothing - while Xehanort is stronger than ever in EVERY form he comes in."

"It matters not," Ansem closed his eyes, "He will fail."

"Hmph." Xehanort's Heartless used his guardian to blast rings of dark power towards Ansem, but just as the rings reached the man, Aqua leapt in front of him and quickly repelled the dark forces away. Her movements were lightning-fast, as she manuevered the Keyblade to hit the dark force away and repel the rings into the dark oblivion.

Xehanort's Heartless then charged towards the young woman, as a dark barrier formed in front of him. Aqua knocked Ansem to the ground and cartwheeled out of the way, just in time as Riku rose up to strike Xehanort from behind. Riku was about to deal another blow to the dark figure, before the man forced his hand out forward as a dark impulse threw Riku across the isle.

The dark figure laughed, "You foolish protectors of light. I already told you. I'm nothing more than a nightmare in this realm. You cannot defeat me."

Aqua's darted arounf the isle, focusing between Xehanort's Heartless and her companions and then rising upwards to stare at the Veil of Nightmares. Her eyes were fixated on the dark aura above. She thought, 'We may not be able to hurt him...but I CAN destroy that.'

She quickly turned to her friend, "Riku, fight!"

Riku nodded and charged towards the man, wildly swinging his Keyblade at the dark figure in a series og successive combos whish struck him down. He somersaulted into the air and kicked the guardian hard in the face, regaining his footing behind the man.

Angered, Xehanort's Heartless turned around and faced Riku and within a single moment, the dark guardian's fist tightly clenched around Riku, lifting the young man into the air.

"Ugh!" Riku squirmed and struggled against the tight grip of the dark demon, feeling his breath begin to leave him as he was suffocated from the hard grip on his body. He looked down into the pure joy in the eyes of the evil man.

"It seems the darkness will win, after all." Xehanort's Heartless smiled.

"Think again." Aqua called out.

The dark figure turned his head around and there, he saw Aqua standing there with three star-shaped pendants in her hands. She smiled and then, fron out of the darkness, two Keyblades appeared - Terra and Ven's = and rushed to her side.

"What are you doing!?" Xehanort's Heartless called out.

"Ending this nightmare," she said back before jumping high into the air and into the Veil of Nightmares above, as Terra and Ven's Keyblades helped her soar up into the air.

"Stop!" Xehanort's Heartless' eyes widened as he watched the girl jump through the dark abyss. He released Riku then and summoned a force of dark energy within his grasps, aiming it upwards towards Aqua.

Aqua jumped to the dark veil, with the two Keyblades by her side. She looked to her left and right and saw that Terra and Ven had manifested next to her.

"Let's finish this." Terra said.

Ven smiled, "Remember, don't give up!"

Aqua nodded and summoned her Keyblade.

Terra slashed through the barrier and disappeared. Ven cut through the veil and faded, as well.

With one final blow from the Keyblade, Aqua focused all of her might into the attack and struck the Veil of Nightmares, causing the dark abyss to break and shatter, remnants of darkness falling down like broken glass.

Aqua descended back down to the earth.

"NO!" Xehanort's Heartless called out, watching as the Veil of Nightmares was destroyed. He moved to attack Aqua, but found he was frozen in place. His body and the guardian then turned almost statue-esque before freezing totally in place. The dark figures then shattered like glass, breaking into thousands of tiny pieces that dissolved into darkness.

Riku and Aqua breathed out, recovering from the battle. The two stared up into where the Veil of Nightmares formerly stood and instead, found a bright pillar of light shining down in its' place.

Riku nodded, understandingly, "Destroying that veil...destroyed him."

She looked up, "That's the way out. All this time, the Veil of Nightmares...it masked the exit back to the realm of light." She stared up and smiled.

"But...the King, he-"

"He'll be okay," Aqua answered, "He'll find his way. We always do."

Riku nodded, "Come on, I think you've been down here long enough." Riku moved towards the pillar of light and stepped inside, followed by Ansem.

Aqua approached the beam of light but stopped just for a moment longer, "Hm?" She looked pack over her shoulder and standing there, was the infused version of Terra and Xehanort. It was the same distorted Terra, with the golden eyes adn white hair - a vessel of Xehanort.

"Again." Aqua said and slowly approached the man, cautiously at first, as she truly didn't know what this vision or illusion of Terra was about. "I've seen you before. You were there in my dream...and then again on the beach and now, here."

The man's golden eyes looked into hers. He lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I wanted to see you."

"What?' Aqua tilted her head and took a few steps closer to the man, "I don't understand."

Terra-Xehanort shook his head, "I know, I'm sorry."

"Terra, is this...real? Is that really you?" Aqua asked.

He shook his head, "No...I think...I'm...just a dream."

"A dream?" Aqua repeated and then realization dawned upon her. She surmised that he was as real as Xehanort's Heartless was. He was just a figure from a dream and now that the Veil of Nightmares was destroyed, the part of Xehanort that held possession over this dream version of Terra had been destroyed.

"I think I understand. You're the version of Terra I've seen in my dreams...the ones that have been haunting me ever since I passed under the Veil of Nightmares. And you've been appearing to me here."

"I know." Terra shrugged, "I...just wanted to see you...before I fade away."

"Terra..." Aqua breathed out and smiled, "There's so much I've wanted to say."

"You can tell me anything," Although he wasn't the version of himself as she remembered, the smile he gave warmed her heart just as much.

Aqua started and sighed, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "Terra, I'm so sorry for everything. I...I didn't understand what the darkness felt like. I thought it would have...been easier to control it, but...being here...surrounded by endless darkness, I see that...it's much easier to be pulled deeper into it...than it is to be freed." She whispered out to him as she cried, "I'm sorry and I don't blame you for anything that's happened."

He rose his hand up to her cheek and brushed the tears away from her face. "I just have one question. Do you still believe in the light?"

Aqua lowered her head and paused for a long moment, "I...I-"

"I heard what you said on the beach, that you don't know what to put your beliefs in," Terra said, lowering his hands down to her shoulders. "I know you still believe in it, Aqua. You just proved to yourself that you still do."

Aqua nodded and wiped the tears from her face, "If it means saving you and Ven...I can believe."

The man nodded and smiled, "Good, because I believe in you."

"Terra..." She breathed out and carefully rose her hands and placed them on his face.

Then, he changed.

His white hair turned brown again, as the Xehanort-possessed version of himself faded from him. Xehanort's appearance over him melted away and the Terra she always remembered returned. His ocean-blue eyes stared into her's and she was overjoyed.

"Terra, it's you." She smiled, as tears of happiness trailed down her face. "It's really you."

He nodded and smiled back, almost sheepishly. "It's me."

Aqua then threw her arms around him and embraced him tightly as he wrapped his around her. They stood there for a long moment, the endless darkness around them somehow becoming a bit brighter.

Terra pulled back from her then as he chuckled nervously, "You can't stay. Xehanort's out there. Ven's asleep and...you have to rescue me. You have to get us back."

"I will. I will, I promise I will," she said, holding his face. "And...everything will be the way it was supposed to be. We'll all be together. We'll rebuild our home. You'll get your dream and become a Keyblade Master and-"

"No."

Aqua paused and smiled up at him in question, tears still in her eyes, "No?"

Terra smiled, as he slowly brought his hands up to her face, pulling her closer to him, "You are my new dream."

Her hands reached up to his shoulders and she smiled as she cried, "And you are mine."

He lowered his face down to hers and captured her lips in a soft kiss.

Their kiss lasted for just a moment, before a light glowed from deep within Terra and the man before her faded away.

Aqua stood in the dark realm for just a moment longer, taking in everything that just happened. Her fingers rose to her lips, as if still feeling the warmth of his lips on hers. She felt a warm glow in her heart then and she smiled.

"I'll find you."

She turned from the realm of darkness then and entered into the pillar of light, never to have a nightmare again.

* * *

Master Xehanort stared down from the Castle That Never Was, looking down upon the indsutrial city that cluttered and scattered around the world beyond the castle. He remained deep in thought, awaiting for his vessel to arrive.

'Once all seven protectors of light are gathered, the battle will begin. New blood will be spilled over the Keyblade Graveyard...just as it was done all that time ago.' Master Xehanort smiled to himself, 'The boy will have to be awakened soon...All the darknesses are gathered and the pieces are set. It's only a matter of time now.'

"The X-Blade will be mine..."

"Talking to yourself again? It must be an awfully lonely life." The approaching vessel called out to the elder.

Master Xehanort smirked and turned around, "I could say the same for you. Not that you ever really had a life of your own to start with, Vanitas."

"Shut up," The masked boy stood within a few feet of the leader.

Master Xehanort let out a low chuckle, knowing that he hit a sore spot with Vanitas. After all, it was he that extracted the darkness from the young Ventus and it took the form of Vanitas. All the masked boy wanted was to be his own person and not just the 'darkness of someone', but his anger and despair over his unfair existence blinded him.

"Get on with it then." Vanitas darkly spoke, "Why did you summon me?"

"I have a little task for you, vessel," Xehanort started, turning his back on the younger man. "How would you feel about meeting the chosen Keyblade wielder?"

"Sora? Hmph." Vanitas smirked, confident in his abilities, "He'll be a push-over just like the rest of them. I'd say it's time I met this...'chosen' one."

"Yes." Xehanort said, "You are to intercept him and his friends in whichever world they find themselves in."

"You want him dead," the masked boy asked.

"No. Not yet, anyway," Xehanort turned back to his vessel, "It's not the boy I'm after."

Vanitas sneered out, "Then what is?"

Xehanort evilly smiled, "Bring me back his friend's heart - the princess' heart."

Vanitas smiled beneath his mask then, "That girl? Why her?"

"Killing Sora would be too easy and not nearly as enjoyable." Xehanort smirked, wickedly, his grin stretching like a snake about to strike, "I want to hurt his heart...and the girl is where he keeps it."

Vanitas asked, "And what do you hope to accomplish?"

"With his heart in despair, it will be easily susceptible to the darkness. We'll plant the seeds in his heart and wait til they grow to consume it completely, and then..."

Xehanort lowered his face closely down to Vanitas, growling out.

"I'll turn Sora's heart as black as coal. He'll be the Keyblade wielder to end all others. And once I've blackened his heart, it won't be just him I've destroyed - it'll be everyone."

"He will be my pawn of the dark."

Xehanort turned from his vessel then and darkly stared out of the windows over the empty city.

* * *

Thank you everyone for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Please review! I love getting all types of feedback on the story.

YellowPearl07 - Thank you for reading the story and reviewing. I hope you're liking it! I guess this answers your questions about how the Tangled story would play out, lol. As for Lea and Ventus, I suppose we'll have to see how everything plays out as the story continues. :D


	6. 6:54 PM

Hello everyone! I hope you all have been well! I'm sorry that I hadn't posted sooner, I was just taking some much needed time for myself to relax after the holiday season and it was great. Thank you for all the reviews and visitors to the story! It made me so happy to see my last chapter get so many reviews and it makes me even happier to know that there are those out there who are really enjoying it. With that said, I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter and please review!

 **Chapter Six - 6:54 P.M.**

Aqua drowsily opened her eyes, feeling her head spinning around her. Her vision blurred and focused, only to blur again. She felt the hard ground under her back and could make out the countless nighttime stars above, in-between the lapses in her vision. It took her a moment to remember everything that had happened before she got there. She remembered Mickey's disappearance and the vision of Terra, followed by her escape with Riku and Ansem out of the realm of darkness.

Her vision focused then. She was lying in a courtyard surrounded by shops, restaurants and other town buildings. Her head slowly shifted to the side, where a colorully-lit sign hung above one of the stores.

"Traverse...Town?" She said out loud. Her head looked forward when she heard the loud chimes of a clock from the bell tower before her.

The handles on the clock face read 6:54 P.M.

The energy then left her body and her eyes shut again as she fell back into a deep sleep.

Riku walked up to her sleeping form then. "She's been lost to the realm of darkness for too long, I think. She'll need her rest," He called back to Ansem the Wise then, only to realize that the older man, too, had fallen into a state of sleep on the ground, as the two recovered from their long absence from the realm of light.

Riku sighed and slightly chuckled, "I suppose we'll need a more appropriate place for these two to take a nap." He turned to the hotel in the Second District then and went to find an available room.

* * *

Floating in the Lanes Between, Sora sat in the captain's seat of the Gummi Ship, as he navigated their course through interspace with Spooky perched on his shoulder. Donald and Goofy were at his side, manning the controls of the ship and preparing any ammo that was needed to fend of the Heartless ship towards their next destination. Kairi packed their belongings with potions and other items that might be needed, while Lea cooly leaned against the backwall of the cockpit, his arms crossed.

"Boy, that was a fun world, wasn't it" Donald said, "I was really scary dressed up like one of those thugs."

"You're pretty scary not dressed up as one of those thugs," Lea said.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Donald turned back to the red-haired man, "That does it, next time we're in battle, I'm not healing you."

Sora turned to the duck, "Say Donald, you don't really do it anyway."

"WHAT!?" Donald yelled out. He turned to his friend for reassurance, "Goofy?"

"Aw, I'm sure they're only kidding around." Goofy scratched his head then, "But gawrsh, there was that time you left me behind when I was knocked out in Atlantica."

Donald threw a small tantrum and crossed his arms, "I liked it better when we picked on Sora."

Spooky turned around from Sora's shoulder and pointed at the duck, almost looking as if it was laughing at him.

"Oh, don't even get me started with you," Donald waved off Spooky and turned his attention towards the outside universe.

The ship drifted through along the route for a moment longer before Chip and Dale came over the intercom.

"Hiya guys!" Chip's voice spoke through the small box at the front of the control panel.

"Hey guys, did you find anything?" Sora asked.

Dale continued, "Yup! Yup! We analyzed your data from your last flights and we found a route that connects to Wonderland!"

"Uh-huh!" Chip cheered, "We're sending the coordinates to the ship now, so you should be on route there in a second!"

Sora smiled, "Perfect! If we're lucky, we'll be able to find Alice there quickly and take her back to Merlin's Secret Sanctum without Xehanort or the Heartless giving us any problems."

Donald nodded, "Yepp, and we'll be one step closer to having all of the princesses!"

Goofy leaned forward when there was a small beeping from the control panel, "Looks like Wonderland's coordinates just got here. Let's put 'em in." Goofy carefully leaned forward and inputed the world's location into the control panel. A moment later, the gummi ship shifted course and went down a different route.

While Donald and Goofy watched as they altered course and took out any Heartless ships that stood before them, Sora felt a small tap on his shoulder and turned his head back to see Kairi smiling down at him.

"Hey," he said up to her.

"Hey," she simply said back to him with a small giggle, "So, that last world was really beautiful...I'm really glad I got to see it. And actually seeing a Keyhole to the world...watching you seal it - that was amazing!"

Sora let out a small laugh, "Yeah, I guess I got kinda used to it after seeing so many of them in the worlds. It's still fun trying to find 'em though."He thought for a second and turned to her, "Hey, maybe next time we find one, we could watch you seal it?"

Kairi's eyes widened and she smiled, "Me? Really?"

"Well, sure. You're a Keyblade wielder now, too." Sora said, a bit giddily, "It's also...pretty cool being able to do it."

She playfully nudged him, "You trying to show off?"

"Maybe a little bit," he said, as the two of them shared a laugh. A moment later, he nervously scratched the back of his neck and began, " So, um...heh heh...I saw your lantern during the floating lights...your uh...dream, I guess."

Kairi tilted her head, "What?"

"Oh, you know, the one with the picture you drew of us - the same picture on the cave walls back at home, I-"

"No, I know." Kairi brushed a hair from her face, feeling her cheeks redden. "I just...didn't expect you to see it when there were thousands of them."

He let out a small laugh, "It floated right down to me."

Kairi covered her face, feeling her cheeks began to match the color of her hair. When she had set off that lantern, she thought that it would have been sent off and it would have most likely never been seen again, but for her to realize it floated right towards Sora - she realized it painted a perfectly clear picture of her feelings towards him.

"Ugh, I'm so embarrassed. You probably think I'm really silly now."

"No! Don't feel embarrassed!" Sora defended, "I thought it was...really sweet, actually."

Kairi removed her hands from her face, still blushing, "Really?

"Really." Sora said, taking one of Kairi's hands in his own, "Kairi, we're not little kids anymore, you know. We don't have to be nervous about our feelings."

Kairi nodded and smiled, "I know."

He chuckled, "Besides, we don't have to be embarrassed about these kinds of things. You know, feelings..." He began, feeling his words leave his mouth before he realized what he was saying.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled, thinking that Sora talking about his feelings was rather cute. "So, feelings. What exactly are they then?"

Sora's head quickly averted from the route and turned to her, his eyes wide, "For you?"

"Mhm."

He nervously stumbled over his words, "Oh, um...well, I mean...I...w-we..."

"Go on," she smiled.

He nervously scratched the back of his head, "I...uh, I have-"

"What happened to us not being nervous about our feelings," Kairi asked with a small chuckle.

He sighed, a defeated smile on his face, "I guess it's easier said that done, isn't it." He took a deep breath and gathered the words he wanted to say, feeling a small pit form in his stomach, "Kairi, what I mean to say is, I...just really l-"

"SORA! HEARTLESS!" Donald and Goofy cried out, panicking at the control panel.

"What?" He averted his gaze and looked ahead. Before their ship was hordes of different Heartless ships, dozens of them floating about, firing lasers towards them. They were simply unmatched by the sheer scope and size of the many ships that flew past them.

"Where did they come from?" Sora shouted out, quickly manning the controls and getting into position to fend off the Heartless ships.

"They came from out of nowhere and surrounded us," Goofy shouted.

"Come on, we gotta take care of them!" Donald said, jumping into position and commandeering the ship around the Heartless.

With Sora, Donald and Goofy at the helm of the Gummi Ship, Kairi and Lea watched as they quickly navigated around the vast Heartless ships that fired towards them. Their ship shot back to counter the onslaught of lasers that blasted towards them.

"They just keep on coming," Kairi remarked, watching as they took one group of Heartless ships out, only for them to be replaced by others moments later.

"There's no way we'll be able to make it to Wonderland in one piece if they keep attacking like this," Lea said.

Sora slammed his fist down on the control panel, "Is there any way to move this thing faster?!"

"Careful, Sora!" Goofy said, before the ship jolted and shot upwards. "Whaaaaa-hooo-hooo-hoooeeee!"

The ship blasted upwards through the sky and looped upwards into the air, out of control. For a brief moment, the ship spiraled in mid-air, shuffling the five friends around inside of the ship.

"Now look what you did!" Donald shouted, momentarily air-bourne, muttering a series of incomprehensible noises.

"I was only trying to get us away from these things!" Sora shouted, watching as more Heartless ships zoned in on theirs and surrounded them. "Aw, come on! Quit it already!"

They watched as the Heartless ships dangerously approached them. There was so many of them that, even as they continued firing lasers off towards the ships, more replaced the ones that had been destroyed.

"If we don't do something, we're gonna fall right out of the sky," Donald shouted.

"I know that!" Sora shouted back.

"Stop fighting!" Goofy tried to silence them and remain on keeping their ship stabilized.

Sirens began blasting through the cockpit, as red spiraling lights circled around the cockpit. Chip and Dale soon came over the intercome again. "What's happening over there, guys!?"

"Now, fellas. Don't worry," Goofy replied, calmly, "Everything will be alr-"

"We're gonna die!" Donald grabbed the intercom and shouted into it. "Can you get us outta here!?"

"We'll try to do what we can!" Chip said over the intercom, as the two chipmunks quickly raced through the small control booth in Disney Castle, working hastily to find a solution to their imminent problem.

"Guys, look!" Kairi said, pointing outside the window. They all diverted their attention to one of the Heartless ships, which fired a laser directly at the wing of their ship. The wing broke off from their ship and flew off through space. The ship heaved and wavered, tilting back and forth as it flew.

"We've been hit! We're not gonna last much longer," Goofy shouted.

"I came back for this," Lea calmly said, trying to regain his unbalanced footing. "Is it bad I'd rather still be a nobody? What is my life?"

Sora gritted through his teeth, gripping the handles of the controls firmer in his hand, struggling with keeping the ship somewhat balanced due to their unfortunate situation and their broken wing.

"Get away! Shoo!" Donald shouted, watching as more Heartless ships launched attacks at their ship. The protective barrier that was once around the ship was soon blasted away and disintegrated. The Heartless ships' lasers then began eating away at the very skin of the ship, chipping and peeling it away. Their ship was slowly being destroyed from the outside.

"Look out!" Kairi shouted, watching as one particularly large Heartless ship dove towards them.

Sora just barely dodged and directed the ship out of the way. If the ship was to have been hit by the size of that thing, they would have been done for.

Goofy tried to manuever one of the lasers towards the ships, but a second later, found that the Heartless ships blasted their laser machinery clean off their Gummi Ship.

"Come on!" Sora shouted.

Dale's voice came over the intercom then, "Okay, hang on tight guys! We're gonna warp you out of there and back to Radiant Garden!"

"Just do whatever to get us outta here!" Sora shouted, his knuckles turning white from his fierce grip on the handles.

A bright light illuminated around the Gummi Ship then, as the ship slowly morphed and stretched. A vortex then seemed to appear from within the ship itself and sucked the vehicle into it, disappearing into a series of particles and beams of light.

When the light faded, the Heartless ships surrounded the open space of air where the gummi ship once floated.

In the sky above Radiant Garden, there was a small vortex that appeared, bright beams of light appearing from within it and, moments later, the gummi ship blasted from within it. The gummi ship slowly descended down to the earth and fell from the sky, as it sputtered and shook about.

"Everybody, hang on!" Sora warned, as they all braced for cover, feeling the ship fall out of the sky.

It was just a moment later when the ship met the ground with a small crash and a plume of smoke.

"Well, that could have gone better," Sora remaked after the ship had reached its' screeching halt in the middle of the Marketplace. The group recovered from their jumbled state, rubbing their aching pains.

Lea turned to Donald, "You gonna heal us now or?"

"Shut it, ya big palooka."

* * *

Aqua's eyes slowly opened.

She blinked a few times before she realized she was fully awake. The new setting wasn't where she had awakened previously, but rather a small, simple room with a bed and a wooden desk in the corner of the room.

It felt unusual to be back from the realm of darkness, almost as if a weight had been lifted from her. It was a strange feeling not to be surrounded by the immense darkness for a change, but it was a most welcome feeling.

She rested her head back and looked up to the ceiling. 'Finally back. Now, it's Terra and Ven's turn.'

She was taken out of her thoughts a moment later when Riku and Ansem entered the room.

"Ah, I see you're up," Riku remarked. "I'd say you're looking better. I guess you must have slept off the last of what ailed you from the realm of darkness."

She sat up, rubbing the back of her head, "I guess I must have." She rose from the bed then, feeling a bit weakened as she stepped, but remained strong as she walked towards the window. From the pane of the window, she peered out towards the sleepy evening stars that glistened above the rooftops of the town that expanded before her. The lights from the flickering lanterns and house windows seemed to separate off through different districts in the town, but it was a warming sight to Aqua all the same - it was a place where she didn't feel alone, much unlike the realm of darkness.

"Traverse Town? What is this place How did we end up here?" she asked the two men.

Riku lifted a finger to his chin as he thought, "Hmm, well, Mickey and I found a portal into the realm of darkness through this town when we came to find you. I guess...when the portal back to the realm of light brought us back, it brought us back to where we entered in."

"Sounds reasonable," she said with a nod. "So, now what?"

Riku thought again, "Hmm, well, we told Master Yen Sid that we would return back to his tower once we found you, but...we got to this town with Mickey's StarShard."

"Oh, you mean this?" Aqua reached into her pocket to retrieve the star-shaped crystal.

"Yeah, but only the King and Master Yen Sid know how to use it," Riku said.

Aqua tried focusing her energy into the crystal to find some way to 'activate' it, but after a long moment in deep concentration, she gave in and rested the shard down on the bed next to her. "Nothing. And with the King lost in the realm of darkness..."

Riku sighed and furrowed his brow in concern, "Hey, cheer up. Mickey will find a way out, even if it takes some time. He's done it before."

"The King will return," Ansem the Wise stepped forward and spoke to the two then.

"You're starting to remember," the young man asked.

Ansem nodded, "Yes. Since returning from the dark realm, parts of my memory are beginning to patch themselves together again. The memories are become clearer again."

"That's a good sign, then," Aqua said with a small smile.

"Yes, I recall the King's determination the most," Ansem spoke out. "He won't be gone for long."

Riku nodded and walked towards the window, where he stood alongside Aqua. "Until then, we find an alternate way to get back to the Master's tower. We should look around town and see if we find anything interesting that could help us."

"Sounds like a good idea," Aqua said and moved towards the door.

"I'll stay behind here," Ansem said, taking a seat at the desk.

"You will?" Aqua asked.

The older blonde man nodded, "Yes. The Heartless are about in town. It would be an easier task for Keyblade Masters like you to achieve. I'll wait here for your return."

Riku nodded, "Okay, we'll be back soon."

The two left to explore the town in the quiet night.

* * *

"Now how the hell did you do this," the disgruntled mechanic scratched his head, as he examined the crashed Gummi Ship in the marketplace courtyard.

Sora shrugged at Cid, "There were too many Heartless."

"They took our ship right out of the sky," Donald explained.

"They really got us bad, huh," Goofy said.

"That's an understatement if I ever heard one," Yuffie said, as she stood alongside Leon and Aerith, who stared in-between Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Lea and the battered gummi ship. Bits and pieces of the ship had been disintegrated, while other parts of the ship had deep dents and broken equipment pieces destroyed from the interspace battle.

"It's a good thing none of you got hurt," Aerith said.

Leon nodded, "The town for that matter. This could have caused some serious damage. It could have been a lot worse."

Cid went towards the broken ship and examined the remnants of what was left behind from the battered vessel. He went behind the ship to examine the engine and was met by a blast of smoke to the face. He waved his hands about, letting out a loud cough when the smoke covered his face. "Son of a bit-"

"But do you think you can fix it for us?" Sora asked.

"Well, hmmm, sure, but it'll take a little while if that's alright with you," the mechanic said.

Donald impatiently tapped his foot, "Well, I guess we don't have much of a choice, do we?"

"Nope!" Goofy said, "Looks like Cid here'll have to help us out."

Cid examined the ship for a moment longer, examing the broken parts that were needed and necessary for repairing the ship. "Hmm, I would help, but..."

"But?!" Donald asked.

"But I'll need to get some of these pieces first." Cid turned away from the ship, wiping his brow and walked up to Sora. "It's a good thing you came to me cuz I got just the pieces you need. Ain't no one in this town gonna fix this beauty up quicker."

Lea crossed his arms and sighed, feeling like a pointless goose chase to find these "gummi" parts was about to commence. "Okay. so what now? We're can we find these pieces?"

"Keep your britches intact, sonny." Cid chewed down on the toothpick in his mouth, "I got some pieces all ready in the engine room in the basement of the castle. I keep all my good pieces for ship buildin' down there. It's the perfect place, quiet, no visitors, no goddamn Yuffie."

"Hey! I'm right here!" The ninja defended throwing her arms out.

"I know." Cid replaced the toothpick in his mouth with a cigarette and lit it, "So, you think you can find those pieces fer me? It shouldn't be long to fix this thing up once I got 'em."

"Sure, we'll get 'em for you." Sora nodded.

Cid nodded and went back to the ship, "In the meantime, I'll do what I can to start repairs until those pieces get here. Have Leon and the girls look after ya."

"I guess we're getting dragged along for the journey, then, hm," Leon said, turning to Aerith and Yuffie.

"Well, come on then," Aerith said with a smile, leading them away from the marketplace.

Yuffie turned to him, "It'll be fine Squ-."

"It's Leon."

"Ah, whatever! Let's just go!" The ninja said, following behind Aerith.

The three led the way through the marketplace, leading Sora and his friends down the zig-zagging stone steps that led the way down into the town center. At midday, the town was rather peaceful and quiet as the afternoon went on. They had made their way up to the security gate at the bailey and entered through, making their way up the long path that led between the garden walkways and smoke-spewing reactors which lined the way to the heart of the city where Ansem's castle stood. They made their way up to the stone steps that led to the base of the castle.

"Hmm not a Heartless in sight," Donald examined, walking up the steps.

"I wouldn't be complaining," Kairi said, looking around to see any wandering creatures.

"I guess that town security patrol is doing a good job then, huh," Goofy asked.

"Well, we could be doing a better job I think," Noctis' voice called out from behind them.

They turned around to see the man standing there along with his other three traveling companions. They walked up the mountain path which started from the West District and climbed up the rocky hill that led up towards the castle. The four of them looked a bit out of sorts and defeated.

"Noctis, right," Sora questioned, recalling the man's name from their last encounter.

The man nodded and walked up to the others. "Yeah, it's good to see you guys again. You look like you're doing well."

Lea tilted his head and smirked, "Hmm, and you all look like you've had a rough time. What's up?"

Prompto groaned out and covered his face, "Do we really look that beat? Ohhh man! No more selfies for me then until we start looking more like ourselves."

"So, why the long faces?" Goofy asked.

"I don't think we've been doing as good a job as you might think," Gladiolus said with a sullen expression.

"What do you mean," Sora asked. "There's barely any Heartless at all."

"I think there's more to worry about than just the Heartless." Ignis stated matter-of-factly.

Noctis continued, "When we last met, we followed you from the town up to the castle. Well, remember that woman that tried to keep you from passing through?"

"Larxene...or Elenar, as she'd rather be called in her new life," Lea commented.

Gladiolus shook his head, "Yeah, well it seems this 'new life' of hers was cut short."

Sora's eyes widened, "What?! You don't mean-"

Ignis nodded and turned his head away from them, "Her body was found in the streets just yesterday morning. She'd been killed."

Kairi covered her mouth to stop a gasp from escaping, "That's...horrible."

"Was it the Heartless?" Sora asked.

Noctis shook his head, "No...it wasn't them. She seemed to find herself in a bad place at a very bad time."

Lea sighed and crossed his arms, "Poor Larxene. She was cruel, but she had a fire in her that most others lack."

Sora shrugged, "Who would go to such lengths to do her harm?"

Lea turned to him, "Where do we begin - present company included. You once did her in yourselves even though you don't remember it."

"Xehanort?"

Lea nodded, "I wouldn't be surprised. It's like Yen Sid said, he has an extreme disregard for any sort of life...even those that were once aligned with him."

Noctis looked up at them, "We're going to do all we can to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again."

"As will we," Leon nodded. "Until then, keep your heads up. You're still doing a good job and we need your help.

A small smile spread on Noctis' face, "Thanks, guys."

"So, where are you guys off to today," Prompto cheerfully asked .

Sora scratched the back of his head, "Well, it's...uh, kind of a long story. We gotta go get to the engine room beneath the castle."

Prompto smiled, "Ah, well good news for you! We know just the way."

"Awesome!" Sora cheered.

Noctis nodded and directed them to a path that led down the side of the mountain which the castle was built on. The pathway spiraled down into the crystal fissures and caverns at the base of the castle, where the basement was concealed deep within.

Sora leaned over the precipice and stared down into the depths below. "It's all the way down there?"

Prompto nodded, "Uh-huh, we've never actually been down there, but we can't imagine it's too dangerous."

Yuffie agreed, "I'll say, especially with the old man coming all the way down here to get his parts for his ships. If Cid can do it, I think anyone'll be safe going down there."

Noctis turned to Sora, "We'll help you out with getting whatever you need, Sora. Think of it as making amends for fighting you guys last time."

Sora smiled, "Thanks, guys!"

"Good luck, Sora!" Kairi called out.

Ignis gestured forward and began the trek down the mountain tril to the base of the castle. "Well then, shall we?"

* * *

Aqua and Riku had made their way through the quiet evening streets of Traverse Town, taking out any Heartless which appeared in their way. The quiet evening seemed to spread a gentle calmness in the town - one that, although peaceful and quiet, seemed to evoke an eerie frozen stillness. While the Heartless had appeared, it seemed like the rest of the world was still, almost like time had stopped. The lanterns' flames had lost their flicker, the leaves on the tree branches that lined the narrow streets had stood still and the dancing flames of the candles in the windows had lost their fiery dance.

Everything remained still.

The two Keyblade Masters made their way back to the Second District, where they had awoken, in search of anything they could use as a means of traveling back to Yen Sid's tower.

Aqua placed a finger on her chin, "Hm, what a strange little town. And you and Sora have been here before?"

"Many times, we've had lots of adventures here in Traverse Town. It was actually the first world we ever went to after we left the islands and we came here again during our Mark of Mastery exam." Riku sighed and looked around the quiet Second District at night, "The place never seems to change."

Aqua looked upwards and her eyes noticed the clock atop the bell tower then. "Hm? Huh?"

The handles on the clock face read 6:54 P.M.

Riku turned to her, "Something the matter?"

She turned to her friend then, "Oh, it's nothing." She looked back up at the clock which stood above all of the town. "It's just...when we arrived back in this world, I remember seeing the clock...and it said 6:54 P.M."

"So?"

She pointed up, "Well, look at the clock now."

Riku looked up, "Hmm, it still says 6:54 P.M. That's...strange."

She nodded, "Exactly. We had gotten to this town - what, maybe two hours ago?"

"Maybe the clock is broken," Riku glanced back up to the clock and tilted his head.

"Hmm, I don't know." Aqua turned and looked around at the quiet district, "I can't help but feel something...off about this place." And when Aqua felt these feelings, she was usually right. "It might just be me...but coming from the realm of darkness where time stood still, it almost...feels the same here."

"Really?" Riku turned to her, "You think...time is frozen in this world, too?"

"Maybe? It would explain why the clock hasn't moved and everything seems to be...very still."

Riku thought for a long moment, "Hmm, now that I think about it, whenever Sora and I have come to this town...it seemed to be eternally...on the cusp of evening and never changing."

"Hm, 6:54 P.M." Aqua said, as she looked down towards her feet, a small sense of emptiness filling her heart. "It seems even time can be fleeting outside the realm of darkness."

The white-haired young man turned to her then, "What do you mean?"

Aqua turned to him, speaking gently, almost as if it was to herself. "Hm, it seems I'm speaking my thoughts again...I guess being alone for so long in the realm of darkness...I became used to it." She looked up at the clock tower, "It's so strange...how so much time can pass...and while everything might seem different, nothing's changed."

She stepped towards the tall clock tower building. "How long has it been...since I've seen Terra and Ventus?" She thought for a moment, "Over twelve years now..."

Riku remained silent.

"I wonder...Ventus, is he all grown now, too? Just like you and Sora? He was only just shy of fifteen years old when he had fallen into his sleep. I was barely into my twenties with Terra just weeks older, but us...now? Twelve years later? We're still apart and exactly where we left off before I had fallen to the dark realm." Aqua continued to ponder, "Has Ventus lost all those years to sleep?"

Riku placed a finger to his chin and thought, "I think...Ventus is still the same as he was when you left him."

Aqua turned to him, "What makes you think so?"

He looked up towards the clock handles on the clock face. Still 6:54 P.M.

He explained, "When I was...lost to the darkness, I was working with the dark witch, Maleficent. Although I wasn't seeing clearly at the time, she had told me at least some truthful information. You see, I had a friend who's heart had left her body..."

"Just like Ven's," Aqua said.

Riku nodded, "She explained to me that when a strong heart leaves the body, the owner of the heart doesn't age. They remain frozen in a deep sleep until their heart is returned. I saw the same happen with my friend and the other Princesses of Heart. As Maleficent told me, Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora had all been asleep for nearly a decade, too, after their worlds had fallen to the darkness."

Aqua nodded, "Yes and when their worlds had fallen, the other inhabitants of those worlds had vanished. When I explored the remnants of these worlds in the realm of darkness, all that was left was the darkness..."

"But you see, just like the other princesses, once Ven's heart is returned to him, his life will continue on right where it left off, like no time had passed at all."

"So...much time has passed." Aqua looked down at the ground, "Hm. Twelve years being apart from the ones you care about. Twelve years trapped in the dark realm, where I was a prisoner, not just to the realm, but to time. I was there...and everything on the outside continued on for another decade or so, life continued on...but mine was paused." She looked around at the still town, feeling very reminiscient of when she had stumbled upon the destroyed village of Cinderella's world in the realm of darkness.

"And now, this town has fallen victim to time's fleeting passage, too. A town where not only people just pass through, but time, too."

Riku turned from her, glancing curiously up at the clock tower, "Hm, I wonder...What if there was some way...to get the clock to start ticking again, to get time to start moving in this realm again."

Aqua thought out, placing a finger on her chin, "Well, it might be possible."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm," she nodded. "In the realm of darkness, I had set the clock back in Cinderella's kingdom to grant me passage to the castle, but I could only do it if I found the clock gizmo pieces that would set everything to the correct time."

Riku nodded and snapped his fingers, "Then, I think I know just the place to look." He pointed along the upper path of the district that led beyond the hotel and continued to the building underneath the clock and bell tower. "The Gizmo Shop. It's the perfect place to solve this mystery about Traverse Town's time halt. It's filled with all sorts of clockwork equipment."

"Sounds like the perfect place to get the clock to start moving again," Aqua smiled, leading the way towards the stone steps which lead towards the Gizmo Shop. The two arrived at the large wooden doors and pushed them open.

From the rooftop landing above the Gizmo Shop, Xehanort stood and watched the two figures make their way inside the building beneath him. A cold, menacing smile stretched across his lips then.

'The mice always fall right into the trap.' He smirked and walked to the edge of the landing, looking over the quiet district before him.

'So, it's true, after all. The girl really has returned...just as I expected.' He let out a dark chuckle, 'What could be more enjoying than taking what little light she has left...and extinguishing it?'

He cast his hands out before him then, summoning a powerful energy from within his grasps. Before him, an aura of darkness materialized from out of the air, as a dark smoke seemed to seep through from within the dark portal.

Xehanort smiled, but sneered out, "Rise from the darkness once more."

The dark aura then morped and began to take form - the form of a creature born entirely from the darkness. The dark form grew sharp horns from it's head and large black wings sprouted from its' back, as this bat-like demon creature slowly took shape. The dark demon let out a fierce roar , as it's yellow eyes pierced through the dark, flashing it's sharp teeth to Xehanort.

The evil man laughed to himself, before casting his hand forth and commanding the dark creature. "Kill them."

The creature let out another ferocious roar and soared off through the air, Xehanort smiling on. 'I will have Aqua's life yet. That much is certain.'

Xehanort watched as the dark demon circled the sky, waiting to attack its' prey.

* * *

Sora made his way down the mountain trail, followed closely behind by Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto. The Keyblade Wielder carefully trekked down the sloping path, leading down towards the crystalline caverns at the base of the castle.

"Hmm, being a Keyblade Wielder...seems like some risky work," Noctis remarked out to Sora.

He let out a small smirk, "Ah, well, I'm sure it's nothing any more dangerous than what you guys are probably used to."

"That case could be made I suppose," Ignis replied.

"I guess you could say we're used to a little danger," Gladiolus said.

The pathway narrowed and continued down a sleep slope which led down into the crystal fissure which wrapped around the basement of the castle.

Prompto looked arouund the blue crystal ore structures that began to surround them as they descended, "Say Noct, this looks like the perfect spot to look for -"

"Prompto, can it," Gladiolus cut the younger man off.

"Never the subtle type, were you, buddy," Noctis turned to his friend.

"Er, sorry," Prompto shrugged and continued down the path ahead.

Sora turned back to the other men then, "So, what are you guys trying to find then?"

"Nothing, it's nothing!" Prompto said.

Sora rolled his eyes, "Well it can't be nothing since you yourself said you were looking for something. So, what is it?"

Prompto sighed out, defeated and his arms fells limp at his sides, "Awww man, did I just blow our cover?"

Ignis nodded, "Very much so."

The Keyblade Wielder stopped then and crossed his arms, "Okay, guys. There's more to you guys than just being the town's security patrol, isn't there?"

"You could say that," Gladiolus confirmed.

"So, what is it then?"

Noctis sighed and walked towards Sora, "Well, when we last met, we told you about what happened to our world. The light was lost to it, the darkness spread and took hold of it. When the world was heading towards destruction, the sun had vanished and only night went on. It wasn't long before the entire world was taken by the darkness."

Gladiolus continued, "We found a way to escape from that mess and awoke in a town the people called 'Traverse Town'. It must have only been a few months ago. It wasn't long before we found ourselves here as the security patrol."

Sora tilted his head, "Okay, so what are you guys really doing here then?"

"Trying to find a way to restore our world from the darkness," Ignis said.

Noctis nodded, "Trying to find a way to get back home."

Sora crossed his arms and pouted, knowing the feeling the four men must have felt as he also had the same goal once. "I've been there before. And...you haven't been too lucky, have you?"

Gladiolus sighed and shook his head, "No. It's only been a few months since Eos fell to the darkness, but...it seems the Heartless have only grown in numbers in that time."

Sora began, "You know, if we find a way to defeat Xehanort and the darkness, your world should be restored to the way it was."

"Who knows," Prompto shrugged, "Pulling a world from the darkness doesn't seem easy, especially when the darkness seems to be growing every second."

"Unless you have the crystal," Ignis said.

"Right, and that's what we're searching for to save Eos," Prompto finished.

Sora's ears perked up at that bit of information, "Hm? Crystal? What's this about some crystal?"

Noctis started, "In the world we came from, there was a crystal that possessed great power - immense power, with enough strength to save the world, any of them. It was unlike anything you'd ever see - it had a magnificent glow you wouldn't forget."

"What happened to it?"

Ignis continued, "When Eos fell to the darkness, the crystal was lost, too and shattered, sending pieces of it to many different worlds among the stars."

Gladiolus smirked, "And now we're on a quest to find one of those crystal pieces to restore our home."

Noctis sighed and crossed his arms, "Yeah and we haven't been lucky with finding the crystal. Even just finding a small piece of it would work - but if one of the pieces are found and used, all of the other pieces become inactive."

Prompto nodded, "So, it's kind of a one time deal."

Noctis nodded, "It was some time ago I had tried to use the power of the crystal in its' entirety to save Eos and push the darkness away...but it didn't work in time. I failed."

Sora tilted his head in thought, "Hm, I see."

Ignis continued, "But we're trying to find the crystal, not just to save our world, but to protect others, too."

"Right," Noctis started, "Like I said, the crystal pieces are powerful, but almost too powerful are are completely to the disposal of how the user wants the crystal to work."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if we had one of the crystal pieces, we would use its' power to save the world, but if one of the pieces was to fall into the wrong hands, it could also be used to destroy the world."

Gladiolus nodded, "It's like a blank slate, entirely dependant on what the user wants to do with the crystal."

Sora thought out loud, "Hmm, a crystal with the powers of both light and darkness built inside of it, now fractured into many pieces throughout the worlds. A crystal that could be used to either save the world...or destroy it - and you only need one of those pieces to use that crystal."

"Uh-huh," Prompto nodded, "And we have to find one of those pieces and use it to save our world before it falls into the wrong hands. Who knows what would happen then? Something not so good, that's for sure."

"So, you guys became the town security because..."

Prompto gave a guilty smile, "Well, one of the perks is that we get access to all areas of Radiant Garden. Makes it easier to get around and get to all the parts of this world that not everybody gets to see."

"So, you're not really...a security patrol, then..." Sora tilted his head.

"Hey, watch it, kid." Gladiolus playfully teased, "We might have an...'ulterior motive' to why we're in this town, but we're still doing what we can to protect the town from the Heartless."

Sora rose his hands up in mock defense and smiled, "Just kidding! I know you guys are doing what you can. I hope you find what you're looking for."

Noctis nodded, "Thank you. If you happen to find anything about this crystal, do us a favor and let us know. It might be the only way for us to get back home."

"Will do," Sora finished with a smile.

Sora began leading the four men back down the path towards the basement of the castle. The path sloped downward between the crystal rocks and stopped at the stone archway at the bottom of the castle which led towards a small wooden door.

"Hmm, can't believe Cid comes all the way down here to work on his aircrafts. It's a bit of a walk," Sora said.

Prompto scratched the back of his head, "Well, after being around Cid for only a short time, I think it's save to say he's not exactly a people-person. He'd probably walk even farther if it meant more peace and quiet while he worked."

"Come on, let's find those pieces you need for your ship," Noctis said.

"Right." Sora reached for the door handle of the wooden door, but then felt a strange wave pass over him.

For a brief moment, Sora felt the world around him had passed in incredibly slow-motion, almost as if he was moving through a haze, but feeling as though he wasn't going anywhere.

'Huh?'

From the corner of his eye, he saw something - no, someone, standing there, watching him from the round curve of the castle's wall. The being wore an entirely dark robe, but unlike the ones of the Organization. It cascaded down in tattered streams and flowed to the floor, pooling around the figure. The hood masked the figure's face in darkness, as its' flowing sleeve extended forward, as if it was pointing towards Sora.

It sent a chill down Sora's spine, as the figure seemed to float towards him. Not walk, float, traveling like a spirit towards the young man. The being's red eyes pierced through the darkness of the hood.

'Chosen One.'

He didn't actually hear the words or a voice, but he could feel them being spoken to him through his heart. It was clear.

'At last we meet.'

"Huh? Who are you?" He felt himself say the words without actually speaking.

The robed figure stopped just short of him, inches away from his face.

 _'The Guardian of Darkness.'_

Sora's eyes widened as the figure's wrinkled, bone-white hands rose up to the edge of the hood.

Then, the figure vanished.

Sora was taken out of the trance-like state, as Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto made their way towards him and the door.

"Sora, come on."

"Huh? Wh-what?" Sora looked around, taken aback.

"Is everything alright?" Ignis asked.

"Um, y-yeah." Sora slowly walked after the four other men. He thought to himself, 'Guardian of Darkness? What...was that?' He pushed the thoughts out of his mind as he entered into the lowest level of the castle.

"Wow, I didn't expect all this be in here," Noctis said, taking in the decently-sized amount of space filled to the brim with Cid's spare gummi blocks, pieces of flying equipment and works-in-progress that the mechanic must have been working on in his spare time.

Prompto removed a tarp and found a small glider plane, "Hm? The 'Tiny Bronco'? Geez, how does Cid name some of this stuff?"

Gladiolus examined some of the vehicle pieces, "Gotta say though, some of these bits and parts would look real nice on the Regalia."

"The what?" Sora asked.

Noctis smiled and shook his head, "It's just our car from back home."

"An impressive vehicle," Ignis said.

"Had lots of great times riding through the countryside," Gladiolus smiled, "A real beauty."

"Yeah, really beautifully destroyed," Prompto finished.

"No need to be a downer, Prompto," Noctis said.

"Hey! I was jus-"

"Come on, let's get Sora the parts he needs."

The five gathered different gummi ship and flying equipment parts from around the room, collecting a pile of assorted new materials which would enhance the ship and, hopefully upon Cid's repairs, would be flying again soon.

The five of them gathered the several pieces took them along with them as they left.

Sora smiled and nodded, "Alright, this should do it. Thanks, guys!"

* * *

Riku and Aqua made their way into the Gizmo Shop and the blue-haired woman was impressed with what she saw. The small room at the back end of the Second District was bright and colorful, filled with moving clockwork pieces and, not surprisingly, gizmos that moved in a constant, routine motion.

"Wow, I wouldn't have expected all of this to be in here," Aqua said, moving closer to examine the moving equipment pieces.

"Hmm, wonder if there's anything in here that could help us get time to start moving again in the town," Riku said, walking further into the room to examine a large clock hung on one of the walls. "You said that in the realm of darkness you had to find the clock gizmos to set time right again?"

"Yes, there were several of them," she nodded.

"Well, maybe there's some of them in this town, too." Riku turned to her, "We just have to find them and then...maybe time will start moving again?"

"That could be," Aqua said and moved towards the clock, examining the clock handles closely and the working gizmos that churned deep within the clock. She tilted her head, "Hmm, this clock is stuck at 6:54 P.M., too."

"The clock is still ticking, but time isn't moving," Riku observed.

"Interesting," she said.

There was a sudden rumble that shook the entire building for a long moment, before everything fell silent again.

"Hm?"

"What was that?" Riku asked.

Another tremble shook the building then, causing both Riku and Aqua to summon their Keyblades and run towards the wooden door. They made their way through the door and walked back onto the ledge that looked down into the Second District.

Riku and Aqua's eyes widened when they saw the creature that encircled the night sky above the district.

"What is that," Aqua muttered out, hearing the dark demon let out a ferocious roar.

"I've battled this creature before," Riku quickly glanced between her and the winged-demon. "Back in my Mark of Mastery. It's a creature born from pure darkness. It can be defeated, but it always comes back."

The demon sensed the two and found them on the ledge. It let out a ferocious, terrifying roar, stretching its' wings out across the open sky, flashing its' razor sharp teeth and glowing yellow eyes. It was bigger than nearly all of the buildings.

Riku gritted out, "It was called Chernabog."

Chernabog swooped down through the sky and headed towards the pair, it's sharp claws stretched outwards to strike. Riku and Aqua bolted down the pathway along the hotel, evading the flying demon. When the darm creature ahd realized that Aqua and Riku were on the move and that it had missed its' chance to strike, the creature took off into the air again to initiate its' next attack.

Riku and Aqua quickly sprinted through the Second District, ducking behind a nearby bench for their futile attempt at safety, as they scanned the sky to keep an eye on the demon.

"How did something like that manage to appear here?" Aqua turned to Riku.

He quickly spoke, "I don't know. Maybe it found a way to break through when we came back from the realm of darkness."

"Do you think we can take it?"

"I don't know, but we can try!" Riku said, before moving away from his spot behind the bench and calling out to the winged-demon. Aqua followed suit and the two quickly moved down towards the lower section of the district, never taking their eyes away from the beast.

When the creature had again seen the two Keyblade Wielders move about, it descended back down towards the courtyard. From within its' grasps, it summoned a ball of fire and propelled it down at the two. Riku quickly reacted and jumped forward, Keyblade in hand. As the small meteorite met the Keyblade, there was a small impulse of light as Riku used all of his strength to fend off the attack and ricochet the ball of fire back into the sky, where it exploded.

Chernabog let out another loud wail, thrashing its' wings about as it rapidly descended down towards the district square. Aqua leapt up towards the creature and went to attack, but was blasted back by the sheer force of the wind from the creature's wings. Before she could react, she found herself being lifted away into the sky as the demon had latched it's claws onto her shoulders and carried her away.

"Aqua!" Riku called out to her, watching as the woman was carried away into the air. "Don't worry! I'll save you!"

She thrashed about, trying to break free, as she watched the ground beneath her continue to grow farther and farther away. She swung her Keyblade up at the creature, trying to strike it but couldn't successfully reach. She decided on a new tactic and took a moment to focus, her magical talents rising to the surface.

"Blizzard!" She shouted, catching the creature off guard. Before it knew it, the creature found its' claws began to grow still and then freeze over, chunks of ice spreading across its' skin. The creature let out a growl as Aqua broke free from its' hold. She flipped up, bouncing onto the creature's frozen claws, leapt into the air, and with a single blow from her Keyblade, sliced through the creature's right wing, severing it from its' body.

The demon let out a pained roar as it struggled to remain airborn, watching as Aqua fell back down to the town, where she regained her footing. The creature's wing fell from the sky, where it dissolved into dark particles.

Riku went to his friend, "You're okay?"

She nodded and looked at him with an unfazed expression, "You'll save me?" She let out a small chuckle, "Oh, that's cute, but I can take care of myself."

The two looked up, watching as an aura of darkness emerged from where Chernabog's wing had been cut off. From within the dark aura, a new wing was regenerated and replaced its' lost one. With it's wings now restored, the creature let out another loud roar.

Riku and Aqua were prepared to charge back into battle against the relentless demon, but were surprised when they saw the being circle his way through the air above and fly off away from the district, temporarily ending the battle.

Aqua sighed out, catching her breath, "It's not done yet. It's toying with us - probably waiting to catch us off guard when we least expect it."

"Yeah," Riku nodded, recovering, as well, "And it doesn't look like we can defeat it just by attacking it. The darkness will just keep restoring it."

She nodded, "We'll have to find another way to battle that darkness then."

"A futile attempt, girl. The darkness always prevails," Xehanort's voice called out behind them.

Aqua grew still and gripped the handle of the Keyblade tighter the moment she heard the man's voice. She and Riku slowly turned around to see Xehanort descend down from the top of the clock tower, landing on the ground just a few feet before them.

"You," Aqua darkly spoke, seeing the man she had grown to despise over the years, the man that had taken Terra, her master, her home, everything from her - all because of him.

"Xehanort," Riku gritted out and held his Keyblade forward in defense.

"I've long awaited your arrival, girl." Xehanort evilly smiled at the woman, "It's been some time, but I knew you'd return."

Aqua sneered out, "You - you caused all of this. You've taken everything from me!"

Xehanort chuckled darkly, "Hmph, there's one last thing I've come to take - your life."

She pointed her Keyblade out towards him and glared, "You won't."

"Why?" Riku demanded, "Why are you doing this?!"

The evil man smiled, "Because I want the Keyblade War to be re-enacted and the X-Blade re-forged...and it will be." He summoned his Keyblade to his grasps then, showing the eye that was implanted in the blade. "You see, I've known far more of what is to come than any one possibly could. I've arranged all the events and set all the gears in motion and now - all I have to do is wait for the clash against the seven lights and the thirteen darknesses to get what I want."

Riku and Aqua grunted out.

"But I'm a patient man, I can wait as long as it takes," Xehanort finished.

Aqua pleaded, "Release Terra's heart! Let him go! He doesn't deserve to be used by someone like you."

Xehanort's smile twisted even more then, "Oh, your light burns strong for him, doesn't it?"

She remained silent.

"And while you endlessly wandered through the realm of darkness, Terra has only sunken further into the darkness. And soon, his heart will give out and mine will take over, fully." He let out an evil smirk then, "And he will be Terra no more..."

Aqua shook her head, angered. "No. That won't happen...because Terra is stronger than you think. He's been fighting your darkness this entire time and he hasn't let you take over and he won't give up now! He'll continue fighting you for his heart...and so will I!"

Xehanort stepped forward then, his Keyblade pointed towards the woman, "If it's a fight you want, I'd be more than willing to grant your request."

She took another step closer towards Xehanort, a cold stare in her eyes. "You won't win, Xehanort. Not when there's so many united against you."

He laughed, "And yet, all of you, together, still have not managed to defeat me - and you never will."

She stopped just a few steps in front of him, glaring him down. "You - you ruined so many peoples' lives. You've gone after Sora and Riku. You've destroyed my home and killed my master. You've taken hold of Terra and caused Ven so much pain! You've only let the darkness continue to grow and have caused so many people to lose their homes and their lives!"

He let out a proud, dark chuckle then. "And if it gets me what I desire, I'd do it all over again, too."

Aqua looked him in the eyes, "And I only have one question for you..."

Xehanort curiously tilted his head in anticipation.

She stared him down, "What did any of us ever do to you to _deserve_ it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Xehanort stepped forward and closed the distance between he and the woman. He paused for a long moment, before a sickening sneer was stretched across his face. "...You all protect the light."

Without another moment of listening to the man speak and, in a moment of rage, Aqua pulled her fist back and punched Xehanort hard across the face.

His head snapped back and then turned to look back at Aqua with a shocked and astonished expression on his face, as the blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"I've been waiting to do that for a long time," Aqua breathed out.

Xehanort wiped the blood from his lips and stared down the young woman, "That really was the wrong move to make."

He brought his Keyblade down then, just as Aqua's raised hers up to fend him off. The two blades met with a clash of sparks, as the two fought to gain the upper hand over the other. Xehanort forced his free hand forwards and sent a dark impulse which blasted Aqua back a few feet, sending her to the ground.

"Stop!" Riku rand towards Xehanort then, his Keyblade in hand. The young man leapt up into the air, ready to bring his blade down upon Xehanort, but was frozen in midair by the superior man's abilities. With a flick of his wrist, Xehanort sent Riku flying back into the stone wall, where the young man collapsed.

Xehanort walked forwards and stood over Aqua's fallen form. He smiled as he loomed over her, covering her form in his shadow. "I said I wanted your life...and now I will have it."

He brought his Keyblade down to kill the woman, but it was met with another clash, as a Keyblade appeared to protect the girl - a Keyblade of pure cerulean blue and what looked like a galaxy of moving stars across the blade.

"What?" Xehanort looked down at the new blade and figure that had appeared.

Aqua looked up after what she believed would have been her untimely demise and gasped when she saw her protector.

Master Yen Sid - with Keyblade in hand.

"You." Xehanort sneered.

Yen Sid helped Aqua to her feet, keeping Xehanort at bay, before sending the young woman back. "Xehanort...It's been a long time." He steadied his Keyblade forward towards the man.

Xehanort's eyes widened, "You really wish to battle an old friend?"

"I will not let you hurt these young people anymore."

"Hmph, it's been some time Yen Sid. I see you're still just as noble as ever." Xehanort began to circle around Yen Sid. "How far our paths have come."

"No...how far your path has strayed away." Yen Sid stepped in a circle opposite of Xehanort, the two forces threatening to strike the other down. "It wasn't too long ago when you, Eraqus and I trained together, Xehanort. How has the darkness come to take hold over your heart so?"

"Hmph, I chose to believe in something you and Eraqus never could - that the darkness could be mastered and controlled opposed to the light."

Yen Sid stared down the man, "You've let your heart wither away at the darkness."

"And I've only grown stronger because of it, just as I always told you and Eraqus." Xehanort glared down at his former friend, "If it's a fight you want, if we're still asking the same question, which is stronger, light or darkness, how about we settle the score and find the answer now."

Yen Sid bowed and gripped the Keyblade tighter. "I already know the answer, you just refuse to believe it."

Xehanort smirked, "If I were you Yen Sid, I would have stayed back at your tower - you would have been safer there."

"As were you," Yen Sid glared down the man before shooting a stream of light from within the Keyblade towards Xehanort. The evil man raised his Keyblade to protect himself from the blast of light and shot the brightness away.

"Still the same old tricks, Yen Sid." Xehanort said, taunting the man. "You forget - everything the Master taught you, he taught me first."

Yen Sid smirked and smiled, "But I was the better student."

Xehanort angrily lunged towards Yen Sid, as their two blades - light and darkness - clashed against one another. The two continuously struck and fended off one another at a lightning-fast pace, the intensity of the battle rising with every passing second. As one hit landed, the other skillfully fended them off and initiated the next attack. The striking of the Keyblades continued, neither one of them landing a hit on the other, but the battle still continuing.

Yen Sid saw a moment of opportunity and in-between the successive strikes of his Keyblade, summoned another great beam of light to appear from within his blade, blinding Xehanort. When the light faded, Xehanort only took a short moment to recover, before the man sent a dark impulse forward towards Yen Sid. At that same time, Yen Sid sent a beam of light from his Keyblade and the two forces met with a huge impact, which caused a surge of energy to spread out through the district.

The two battled to overcome one another, as the forces between light and darkness continuously swayed as both of them focused their energy to gain the upper hand.

Aqua and RIku watched from the sidelines as the battle commenced. The ground beneath Yen Sid and Xehanort had become white hot from the intensity of the battle, the ground began to crack and break open.

Aqua turned to Riku, "Should we help?"

"Yeah," Riku nodded. "It might be Yen Sid's battle, but we're all fighting the darkness together. Let's go!"

Aqua and Riku charged towards the two dueling masters and former friends.

Yen Sid called back to the two, "Aqua! Riku! Stand back!"

Xehanort smirked, "It seems the light can only prevail when it has assistance."

"No, it's just that there's more of us that would rather fight to keep the light alive in the world," Riku corrected.

Xehanort smirked, "Hmph, pretty words."

"Enough of your darkness, Xehanort!" Aqua shouted out to the man, "Enough pain!" She rose her Keyblade over Xehanort and again, their two blades met.

Xehanort's golden eyes stared coldly at the woman, "You sicken me with the light and hope you possess. I would enjoy nothing more than to watch you lose that light in your eyes."

Aqua gritted through her teeth, "Shut up!"

Xehanort smirked as he pushed harder against her then, "Do you really think you could be there for them again? Can you really break Terra's heart free from my darkness?" He chuckled to himself, "I doubt it. Deep down, you know what kind of demon you're dealing with. The boy? Ventus?" Xehanort smiled when he saw the determination and anger grow on Aqua's face. "He's out there somewhere...and I know you know exactly where."

Aqua's breath grew stronger as she pushed her blade harder against his.

The evil man laughed, "When I find the boy and get what I need from him, I'll do what I should have done years ago - and I'll take his life along with yours."

Aqua ferociously grunted out, feeling the anger well up within her for the man in front of her.

"Just imagine of what your Master would think if he could see you now...," Xehanort evilly smiled and sneered out, "...if he wasn't dead."

Aqua screamed out, "That is ENOUGH!"

She pushed the evil man back from her with a great force that had built up with her and swung her blade towards Xehanort - the sharp edge of the blade just grazing the old man's cheek.

"Oh." Xehanort's eyes widened when he felt the quick piercing pain on his cheek. His trembling, gloved hand rose up to his face to touch the burning pain with his fingers and when he pulled away, he noticed the red blood that had collected over his fingertips.

Aqua breathed out, angrily staring down the man, who, in turn, stared back at her with astonishment.

It was in that moment, Xehanort knew - Aqua was far more of a threat and far more superior in skill than he ever imagined her to be.

Aqua spat out, "You told me to imagine what Master Eraqus would think if he could see me now - and that's exactly what I'm doing! I am Master Aqua and I WILL defeat you."

Xehanort's lip trembled, sensing an intense, foreign rage begin to build within him. He turned to Yen Sid, a cold gaze in his eyes. "You know this isn't over, Yen Sid. You'll soon see that I was right all along - that the darkness will always prevail."

Yen Sid lowered his head and closed his eyes, "Xehanort...your quest to prove that you were right will be the very thing that will prove you were wrong."

"We shall see, Yen Sid...when we meet again. Make sure you're ready when we do." Xehanort turned from Yen Sid then and stared to Aqua, "And you - enjoy this short-lived victory of yours, it won't last forever. You and your friends' lives...they will be mine."

Aqua shook her head, determination in her eyes, "No. I will wake Ven up. We will battle you! I'll fight for Terra! That is HIS heart...and I WILL fight for it!"

Xehanort clenched his fist, his face morphing in anger, "Then I'll see you on the battlefield."

"I'll be ready," she shot back.

With that, Xehanort had vanished down a corridor of darkness and left the district without a trace.

Aqua caught her breath, her heart rate slowing after the confronation with the man she hated.

Riku turned to her, "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to be afraid."

Aqua paused for a long moment, "I'm...not."

Riku and Yen Sid stared at her, seeing the determination in her eyes.

She spoke, fearlessly, "It's Xehanort who should be afraid...of me."

A small smile appeared on Yen Sid's face.

She turned to Yen Sid, holding her hand to her heart, "Thank you, Master Yen Sid for saving me. I never expected to see you here."

Riku nodded, "Master, what are you doing here?"

"I sensed that you and Mickey were in danger," Yen Sid continued, "I had tried to make contact with the king, but could not do so. I had kept a close eye on you and Mickey while the both of you traversed through the realm of darkness, but when Mickey had fallen further into the darkness..."

"You came to help us out," Aqua finished.

Yen Sid nodded, "Yes, I sense, even now, Mickey is searching for a way out of the realm. If need be, I'll venture into the dark realm myself to retrieve my apprentice."

There was a loud roar that echoed from the sky above.

Riku looked upwards towards Chernabog, as it made its' way back closer towards the district. "Ugh, that thing again!"

Yen Sid looked upwards towards the sky, spotting the demon. "Chernabog - the dark demon born from the purest darkness."

Aqua looked upwards at the creature, "We tried defeating it, but when we attaked, it was left unharmed before it flew away."

"Chernabog is a very powerful creature." Yen Sid began, "It's a creature that exists as long as the darkness itself exists - a creature that is reborn only in the realm of darkness. It must have found a way into this world."

"Is there any way to defeat it?" Aqua asked.

"Yes," Yen Sid confirmed, "When defeating Chernabog, the creature will be vanquished here, but reborn again anew in the realm of darkness."

Riku nodded, "But at least vanquishing it will send it back to the dark realm, where it'll hopefully stay for good."

Yen Sid bowed his head, "Indeed."

"So, how do we defeat this demon?" Aqua asked.

"With the most powerful thing of all."

Aqua and Riku waited for Master Yen Sid's answer.

"Light."

* * *

Sora had made his way back up the sloping trail, carrying what looked like a mountain of ship equipment pieces in his arms, a wide smile on his face. Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto followed behind the young man, each with a respective loot of gummi ship machinery in their hands.

"Think we overdid it a little," Prompto asked.

"Nah, we could use it," Sora said back with a smile.

The five of them had made their way back up to the castle landing, where Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea and Spooky were waiting for them along with Leon, Aerith and Yuffie. Merlin had also made his way down to the

"Got the pieces," Donald asked.

"And then some," Gladiolus said, showing off all the gummi ship pieces.

"Great job, guys!" Kairi cheered, "We knew you could find what we needed!"

Noctis turned to Sora, "If you want, we could deliver these parts to Cid for you so he could start fixing your ship up. It'll save you some time."

Sora nodded and smiled, "Thanks for the help, guys."

The four men made their way off with parts in hand to deliver them to Cid in the marketplace.

Leon turned back to the group, "Hopefully no more crashes in this town."

Yuffie nodded in a sing song voice, "Right! How can we be a good Radiant Garden Restoration Committee if our own committee members are tearing apart parts of the town!"

Sora nervously scratched the back of his head, "Eh, heh heh, sorry. Hopefully it won't happen again."

Aerith turned to them with a smile, "Well, we have a little bit of work to do with the repairs in town. You all take care of yourself, okay?"

Leon, Aerith and Yuffie left and made their way down the garden walkways that made their way back to the town.

Goofy turned to his friend, "Gawrsh Sora, while you were gone with the fellas, Merlin came down from the castle and, gawrsh, I think he has some pretty good news for us."

Sora turned to the old wizard, "I'm all for some good news."

Merlin gave a small chuckle, "Don't get too excited now - it's no special present. It's just an easier and faster way to get to your next destination.

Sora tilted his head, confused, "What?"

Merlin gave a small laugh, "Just follow me, it'd be easier to show you." The wizard said, directing them up into the castle.

* * *

The dark abyss drifting within the corridor of darkness was vast and dense, acting as an alternate channel from the gummi ship routes that connected all worlds together via the power of the darkness. Although not routinely traveled by anyone, especially the denizens of the light, the corridors of darkness was met by the strangest sight - a group of unlikely companions that had formed their own alliances together - the League of Villains, as they were now known as by the 'wretched' heroes within the realm of light.

Maleficent led her group of villainous assistants down the dark path to their destination. Following along the path behind her was her henchman, Pete, along with Hades, Hook, Cruella and the newest member to their group, the hunter - Gaston.

"What the bloody hell kind of place is this," Cruella asked, taking in her abysmal surroundings as she sauntered through the darkness.

"The Corridor of Darkness," Maleficent answered, "The dark paths that connect all worlds - only traveled by those who do not fear the dark...The Heartless spread to many worlds through these channels."

"Nice place. Reminds me of the Underworld," Hades remarked.

"Now, don't stoop your heart in the darkness too long, Mr. Lord of the Dead," Pete said. "The darkness here is kinda iffy...could latch onto ya real easy-like."

"Well then, let's get on with it then," Hook said, leading the way in front of the other villains.

"Hmph. Still afraid of the dark, are we," Gaston questioned the pirate.

"Of course not, you blithering blockhead," the pirate sneered out. "Why are you even here anyway?"

"Yes, there must be some darkness in you, too, handsome" Cruella said.

"I'm here for the same reason as all of us - to use the darkness to my advantage," the hunter said.

Hades smirked, "How enlightening of you."

"Yes, the lad doesn't even have a solid reason, let alone a solid brain," Hook said with a wide grin. He and the Lord of the Dead broke out into a shared laugh.

Gaston sneered out, already hating the feeling of being the odd-man out from the comradery that had long been formed between some of their members. This was an especially strong hatred since, in the village where he came from, Gaston was idolized as an acclaimed hunter and quite naturally skilled at the oddest of abilities. He was everyone's favorite guy.

The hunter turned to the two, "My reasons are my own."

Hades placed one of his long, pointed fingers to his chin, "Okay, simmer down, fella. Geez, come on. What do you want from the darkness? Power, huh? Wanting to win over the people back in your world?"

"No, I already have all that," Gaston said.

"Then what do you want?"

The hunter turned to him and tilted his head, "To force the hand of the most beautiful girl in my village to marry me...but she's too smart for her own good. Always keeps her nose in a book."

Hook rolled his eyes, "Always about a woman, is it?"

"I deserve her," Gaston angrily sneered, "She's shunned my attempts at trying to win over her heart, but I'm not going to accept failure. Someone as beautiful as her only deserves to be with someone like me...So, if she won't give me her heart...I'll just have to take it, instead."

"Mmmm, well, there is some darkness in you," Cruella moaned out, "I must...say it looks good wrapped up in all those rippling muscles and pretty pectorals."

Hook felt his face turn red, hearing the direct flirtation from Cruella to Gaston. He figured he shouldn't have been easily bothered by something as trivial as flirtation or the idea of romance, but for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling.

Cruella skirted her fingers along Gaston's strong arm, up his broad shoulder, "What did you say you were, darling? A hunter, was it?"

"The best."

A wide smile grew across Cruella's face, "Ugh, for a girl who loves her fur, that's a dream come true, darling." She took him arm in arm then as the two of them walked down the dark corridor.

Hook's face grew redder and angrier then.

Gaston looked over the older woman's slim figure, with her low-cut dress and lavish fur coat wrapped around her thin form. He raised an eyebrow, "Lion skin?"

"Of course, darling. The most rare! And good eye," Cruella brushed off her coat with an innocent smile, "I'm not saying it's the dearly departed father of some poor, young lion cub...and I'm not saying it's not."

Maleficent stopped at the end of the long corridor then and turned back to the others, "Here. The passage to that...dreadful Disney Town." The dark corridor led ahead and opened towards a bright, colorful kingdom ahead. The town was filled with bright and colorful houses and tall buildings which surrounded the even taller castle that stood at the center of the kingdom - where King Mickey and Queen Minnie resided.

Cruella looked on, "I sense happiness, brightness and the overwhelming feeling of joy...I hate it already."

"Ugh, who wants to live in cheerful place like that? Even the blasted Underworld sounds better than this," Hook said.

Pete stretched out his hands and went towards the portal, "Now, now, guys, this place ain't so bad. I had some pretty good times here, myself, at least until the King an' Queen put a kabosh on that, ahaha!"

"Right, you're from this kingdom," Hades questioned.

"Uh-huh, but I don't think those guys'll be too happy to see my face again," Pete sighed.

Maleficent sneered, "Oh, enough of your feelings, you spineless, useless oaf. We're not here for you, we're here for the Cricket's journals...to get their data and the extractor His Majesty used on it."

"Oh, right," Pete said, scratching the back of his head, "No worries, Maleficent. We'll get those books and that contraption, I'll make sure of it."

She sneered, "Please, I wouldn't trust you to remember to breathe, let alone lead a mission. Hades will ensure our mission goes as planned."

The villains went towards the portal to Disney Town and turned back to their evil leader as she called out to them.

"Remember, the denizens of that wretched kingdom use that light of theirs to keep us and our darkness out. It may be easier said than done to retrieve those books. Destroy that castle and that dreadful Cornerstone of Light if you must, but make sure those books are in your possession. They are the key to gaining control over the worlds. Do not fail me."

The villains proceeded through the portal to Disney Castle and vanished from the corridor of darkness.

Maleficent's eyebrows perched upwards when she felt another presence still behind her. She turned around to find Hades still there. "What are you still doing here?"

Hades let out a small chuckle, "No, no, I think the bestter question is...what aren't you telling us?"

"What?" The witch's cold eyes widened in surprise.

He let out a small laugh again, "Your forget, Mal, I know you. We've worked together for a long time. It's hard keeping secrets amongst friends...So, what is it, what are you not telling us?"

"Hades..."

"You said that while we were taking back those journals, you had your own 'matters' to attend to? So, what are they?"

She turned away from him then, "They are matters of my own. Matters that will...lend to my...our...victory. I am certain. That's all that matters, Hades."

Hades rolled his eyes at his comrade's evasion of his question and walked in front of her, placing his cold hands on her shoulders, "Mal, come on. You know you can tell me anything. We are friends..." He, as empty and hollow as his heart was, tried to manifest some emotion and softness in his caress, as he moved his hand up along her nech, towards her cheek, "And I can't help but feel like, maybe we were meant to be something mor-"

"Enough." Maleficent said, taking the god's hands away from her face and pulling back. "I've told you before. Anything you want between us is wishful thinking on your part and nothing more, Hades."

Hades pulled back from the woman's dismissal, as he quietly felt himself began to fume on the inside.

"Our dark hearts weren't made to feel things like love...especially for one another," Maleficent reasoned. "It's a messy business."

Hades shook his head, "But Mal, look...I know, as dark and empty as our hearts are, even we...the 'villains'...want to find some sort of happiness for ourselves, too, right? Even we need to feel...love...or acceptance. Anything, right?" He took another step towards her, "I know our hearts are dark...but maybe, our hearts can share that darkness together - the Lord of the Dead and the Mistress of All Evil, together."

She turned from him then, closing her eyes and lowering her face, "The only darkness my heart is capable of having is my own."

Hades blue skin began to burn and the man slowly began to turn a dark shade of red, "You can't even try."

"Because I can't - you wouldn't understand, Hades. What's left of my heart just wouldn't be in it." She began to walk away, "Like I said, it's a messy business..."

She left the Lord of the Dead behind in the corridor of darkness as she vanished to places unknown, leaving the god fuming, a red fire illuminating from within his skull - a fire that burned with his rejection and anger.

"You'll realize you're wrong about us, Maleficent - even if I have to wait until you're in the Underworld with me. I'll make you see things my way."

Hades angrily vanished through the portal, following the other villains to Disney Castle.

* * *

Xehanort grunted as he made his way into the throne room of the new Organization.

He gritted through his teeth, feeling a rage enguilf his dark heart. He did not want to admit it, but in the previous moments, he felt as though both Aqua and Master Yen Sid had bested him in battle.

'It matters not. The darkness will continue to grow. When the war is upon them, the darkness will prevail...and Kingdom Hearts will be mine.'

Xehanort was then taken from his thoughts then when he sensed the other presence in the tall white room. Standing directly across from him was another figure. The being wore an entirely dark robe, but unlike the ones of the Organization. It cascaded down in tattered streams and flowed to the floor, pooling around the figure. The hood masked the figure's face in darkness. The being's red eyes pierced through the darkness of the hood.

Xehanort smiled and smirked to himself, "Ah, the...Guardian of Darkness. It's been some time."

The figure remained silent.

"And why have you come to me?" Xehanort questioned.

The figure pointed towards Xehanort then and spoke, 'You know where the box is.'

Xehanort gave a dark chuckle, "I do. I've known about its' whereabouts for some time. But what's interesting to me is...what do you want with the box?"

The figure floated towards Xehanort and stopped in front of him, 'What's inside.'

Xehanort smiled, "That not even I could say. All you need to know is that the box and its' contents are unattainable by either of us..."

The figure moved its' bony hands towards it's hood pulling the fabric of the robe back to reveal their face.

Xehanort's eyes thinned, "Why only now reveal your face to me?"

The figure pushed their robe back and an impulse of darkness shot from within, floating about the room before dissolving completely. Xehanort looked over to where the figure had stood, but as he watched the tattered robes fall to the floor in a heao, no figure was ever to be seen.

Whatever - or whoever - was hidden within the cloak, was gone - vanished without a trace into the darkness.

* * *

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea and Spooky followed Merlin down into the Secret Sanctum deep within Ansem's castle.

Sora tilted his head, questioning the wizard, "So, what's this good news you have?"

Merlin turned back to the young man as they descended down the moving platform that led into the hidden entrance of the Secret Sanctum. "Well, my boy, I was in the library reading on the history of the magical arts, when I saw your Gummi Ship fall straight out of the sky. It was quite the sight to see, I assure you!"

Sora scratched the back of his head, "Heheh, I guess everybody knows about what happened, huh?"

"We fell straight out of the sky and landed right in the center of town," Lea stated, "I think that makes us the most popular and universally untrustworthy people in town, which, hey, is pretty cool."

Merlin continued, "But while, you were off finding pieces for Cid to repair your ship, Sora, your friends here had told me how your quest to get to Wonderland had gone horribly awry! Thankfully, I know a few useful secrets to help you on your quest!"

Sora tilted his head, "Like what?"

Merlin gave a small laugh, "I can send you to Wonderland myself, my friends."

"Really? How?" Sora looked at the wizard.

The platform had reached the bottom and they made their way off towards the common room of the Secret Sanctum. The group stopped once they had made it inside of the chamber and went over to one of the walls.

Merlin went on, "You see, it is uncommon for many to know of this, but there are other ways for those to travel between worlds aside from the gummi ship routes in the Lanes Between or the corrupted corridors of darkness."

"Other?" Goofy said.

"Ways?" Donald finished.

Merlin nodded, "Yes, lads. Portals, passageways that act as a sort of bridge between worlds, closing the gaps and distances between them. Acting as a means of travel where the darkness or Heartless cannot follow."

Kairi though out, "Hmm, but if these other passages exist, why hasn't anyone used them? How do you find them?"

The wizard turned to the girl, "Good questions, my dear. These passages are never commonly traveled as they are incredibly hard to come by. They were created by mages and sorcerers of the highest degree from ancient times as a means of connecting the worlds. It took immense power to be able to conduct such a feat - something which is simply unheard of nowadays. But perhaps, one day, another wise mage will have the magical abilities strong enough to continue their work and build these bridges to all the worlds across the stars."

Sora tilted his head with a smile, "Sounds...pretty interesting. And you just happen to know where one of these, uh, 'portals' are?"

"Of course, I do. In fact, it's my own property!" Merlin revealed his wand from within his robes and with a flick of his wrist, a spell was cast. "Presto!"

In a cloud of smoke and magical particles, a mirror on a stand appeared in front of the wall.

"Um, Merlin, it's just a mirror," Sora said, tilting his head a few times, not really getting the whole idea of the thing.

"Ah, my boy, it is so much more than that, though. That's how these portals act - something so seemingly ordinary can even have the most magical properties." Merlin explained, "I don't even know how this mirror came to be in my possession. It just found its' way into my home one day and...well, the rest is history."

Lea scratched the back of his head and turned to his friend, "Sounds like a good idea, Sora. While Cid is working on finishing up the repairs to our ship, we can make use of that time and visit Wonderland through here. It beats sitting around and doing nothing."

"He's right, Sora," Kairi agreed. "Plus, Alice is there. We'd be able to bring her back here safely without Xehanort bing able to track us in the gummi routes."

"Oh, boy! Back to Wonderland!" Donald cheered.

Goofy closed his eyes and smiled, "Gawrsh, I hope we don't have to stand on trial again for something we didn't do...or did we do the thing that we didn't do? Gawrsh..."

Donald stood triumphantly, "Aww, please...if any of those cards try to stop me, I'll stomp 'em down!" The duck stomped his feet into the floor, almost like trying to mimic a giant but also failing at the same time.

Spooky, who was perched on Sora's shoulder, rolled his eyes at the duck and shook his head in embarrassment.

Sora turned to the wizard then, "But Merlin, when we're ready to leave Wonderland and make our way back here, how do we do that?"

Merlin nodded, "Simple. Somewhere in Wonderland, there should be an opposite mirror - one that looks exactly like this one. Once you find that mirror and you're ready to return, it will take you back here at a moment's notice!"

"Sounds good!" Sora cheerfully smiled and turned to face the mirror. "Alright then! Next stop, Wonderland!"

Merlin tapped his wand against his other hand, "Alright, now! Stand back everyone!" Merlin swished his wand in the air, a shimmering blue aura glowing from within. He whirled his wand around for a few more moments before sending he aura into the reflection of the looking glass. The mirror's reflection began to move and ripple, almost as if it was made of water. The rippling surface of the water fade and revealed a forest.

Sora looked onward into the reflection of the mirror, "I remember this part of Wonderland."

Merlin sighed, " Ah, yes, the Tulgey Wood. Quite a lovely place."

Sora looked back at the others, "Well, shall we?"

As soon as Sora stepped forwards however, the rippling within the reflection of the mirror intensified. A strong current of wind seemed to blow from within the mirror's frame, almost like the inner funnels of a cyclone.

Kairi placed a hand on her head, trying to listen over the roaring wind, "What's happening?"

Merlin waved his wand about, his bushy white eyebrows furrowed in anger and confusion. "Confound it, blasted wand! Never works when it needs to! I'm going to try closing it and re-opening it!" The wizard waved his wand around again, but it only caused the intensity of the wind to pick up, practically toppling Sora and his friends over.

Donald jumped up and held onto Goofy, as the duck started floating through the air. "Merlin, it's not making it better!"

"Hold on to something! The portals going haywire!" Merlin instructed, struggling to keep his footing as he used his wand's magic to pull against the force that was stirring within the portal. A particularly hard pull on his wand unleashed a strong current from within the mirror and without a moment to react, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Spooky found themselves being sucked into the frame of the mirror.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh-hooooooo-hooooooo-hooooooeeeeee!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKK!"

"Hoooooooooooooooooooooollllllld ooooonnn, Spooooooooooooooooky!"

As soon as the four had vanished inside, the rippling portal solidifed and turned back into it's original glass form.

Merlin, Kairi and Lea approached the mirror, staring at their own reflections, wondering what could possibly be waiting on the other side for Sora, Donald, Goofy and Spooky after having vanished... _through the looking glass._

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed! Please review, as it makes my day and I love hearing what you guys think of the story in reviews and PMs. Have a good day, everyone! I _wonder_ what silly hijinks could possibly ensue in Wonderland! (geddit? cuz wonder and ahaha Wonderland...yea..real clever scholarly level stuff... wonder and it's called Wonde-forget it.)


	7. Mad Watch

Hello, everyone! I hope you're all having a great day. This chapter is a special double chapter! It's essentially two chapters in one. I had always designed it to be one large chapter and I wrote it that way, but if it becomes too much to read in one chapter, I might split it in two to not make it to large compared to the other chapters. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the Wonderland adventure!

* * *

 **Chapter Seven - Mad Watch**

The ghost pale-skinned witch observed the mountainous valley and the far-off castle and town that had stretched before the balcony which she stood. Once certain that her villainous comrades had gained passage to Disney Town through the corridors of darkness, she had returned to her crumbled fortress domain off of the far reaches of Radiant Garden, where she would pursue her hidden agenda without any eyes or ears to witness.

Maleficent turned from the balcony then, her long, flowing cloaks trailing behind her like a sea of spreading darkness. Inside the lair, she turned to quietly shut the door behind her, closing off the light from the outside realm and sinking into the deep darkness of her lonesome, hollow home.

She reached within her robes and from within, retrieved the glowing, sparkling orb - a heart, or what was left of it, rather. Her usual emotionless face grew sad then, as she gently traced over the radiant orb with her fingers, thinking of things past she had now lost.

'Time certainly is fleeting.'

In her solemn state, she used the darkness within her to open a portal to the corridors of darkness and wasted no time stepping inside, leaving the lair as hollow and empty as it always had been.

* * *

 **Wonderland**

The Tulgey Wood was quiet as the long evening drifted ahead. In the central heart of Wonderland, the Tulgey Wood seemed like an endless forest that drifted for miles on end, filled with tall trees that masked the sun and the stars, endless fields of flowers and secrets waiting to be uncovered.

The silence of the evening woods was soon met by a harsh, shrill squeak, as from within a glowing aura, that disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Spooky met the forest ground with a large thud.

Sora grasped his head, feeling stars form in his vision and let out a low, pained groan. "Ugh...my head hurts."

The three of them brushed themselves off and returned to their feet as Spooky took his usual place on Sora's shoulder. It took them only a moment longer to realize the forest that stretched for miles before and above them.

Sora's eyes widened, "Huh?"

The three looked around them, only to realize that the trees and flowers, the blades of grass, their entire surroundings, had grown massive - bizarrely massive. It could have only meant one thing. "We're-"

"SMALL!?"

Indeed, the three of them and Spooky had been shrunken down to the size of a small mouse or bird. The entire vast forest around them had grown all the more massive arounf them now.

Donald's face furrowed in anger, "Hey, what's the big idea?" He turned around to try and find the portal or mirror or whatever was used to bring them to this bizarre, little world but was met with surprise when the portal had vanished. "Merlin's mirror is gone."

Goofy thought, "Hmm, but he said there'd be another one in this world, right? Gawrsh, guess that means we'll need to do some searchin' around after we find Alice."

Sora took a few steps forward in the dense forest, hearing a few forest critters between the foot-long blades of grass and mile high trees. He though, even the most innocent of forest creatures, a bird or a rabbit, would have been meters tall here and the idea of becoming someone's unfortunate lunch did not sound appealing to him in the slightest.

He turned back to the two, "I think we'll need to find a way to get bigger first before we do anything else. There's all sorts of things here that could possibly make us grow...or shrink even more, remember?"

Goofy nodded, "Uh-huh, like last time we were here, that potion from the bottle shrunk us all the way down!"

Donald sighed and rolled his eyes, "Right, so let's find the conveniently placed potion in the middle of the woods to get us back to normal. It'll take us forever to find something!"

"Well, what are we supposed to do, Donald?" Sora turned to argue with the duck. "Do you have any better ideas!?"

"Oh, brother!" Donald stomped his foot, "Something will probably come and snatch us up before we can even get anywhere close to finding something that'll make us bigger again."

"Fine then, stay here all you want," Sora turned from Donald then, "Come on, Goofy. Let's go."

"Gawrsh, now wait fellas, hold on."

Donald stomped his foot down, as Goofy stood still in-between the two friends who grew further apart from one another. "I'm staying right here and that's that!"

"Fine." Sora said back.

"Fine." Donald repeated, angrily.

The argument was short-lived as, moments after Sora continued to walk away from his two companions, the entire forest shook, as a harsh shriek echoed into the evening woods. The three turned behind them to see the oncoming creature of massive proportions. Their eyes widened and their mouths fell open, as the creature stomped forward, toppling over even the tallest trees as it crushed everything in its' path.

The creature was ferocious, with razor sharp jaws capable of crunching right through the bone. It had a long, twisted neck which moved like a tentacle and antennae which sprouted from its' head. Behind him, two wings flapped and spread open, like a dragon's, but far more ferocious. It's claws were sharp and mangled, like dangling, dead tree branches and it had a long, swooping tail which trailed for what looked like miles behind it. Even if the three were normal-sized, the creature would have been huge, but now, in their unbelievably shrunken state, the creature was incredibly massive - to the point it nearly caused them to jump out of their skins.

The three stood there for a moment as the creature let out a ferocios roar that shook the entire woods. After the roar subsided, there was a long moment of silence.

"RUN!"

Donald leapt onto Sora's back, as he and Goofy began running in the opposite direction of the huge wild beast. "I know what I said before, please don't listen to me! Get me outta here!"

Sora and Goofy, with Donald and Spooky hap-hazardly hanging from Sora's neck and back, took off through the woods, hearing the creature stomp and roar behind them, close on their tails.

Sora looked back, seeing the creature shoot up and take off into the air, still following closely behind them. "What the heck is that thing!? I don't remember that last time we were here!"

"Some kind of dragon," Goofy questioned, looking back at the flying beast.

"Let's not stay and find out," Donald shouted.

They made they way across the dense forest, as the creature charged behind them. They did not even take a moment to consider turning back to fight the monster, as they simply knew that they were no match against the beast - especially at that size. The only option was to flee and seek shelter from the raging creature.

"Come on, we gotta lose him," Sora shouted to Goofy.

"How?" He asked.

"There!" The Keyblade Wielder pointed to a field of foot-long grass blades, to the place where there had been enough room for them to sneak through. They had made their way over to the grass blades and darted in-between, running their way in a dizzying frenzy.

To the creature above, the ant-sized friends had disappeared into the grass and finding them now was like finding a needle in a hay stack. They were simply unseeable from the tall height of the creature and the blades of grass acting as an obstruction. Figuring that it could find far more tastier prey with less of the hassle, the creature let out another ferocious roar and took off into the forest sky, circling above overhead.

The friends continued running, hearing the ferocious beast roar behing them. The blades of grasses came to an abrupt stop when they met the tangled, overgrown roots of a slightly uprooted tree.

"We can take shelter in there," Sora said, pointing towards the small opening under the tree. They ducked down and entered underneath the tangled roots, finding a strangely comfortable campsite to rest for the time being. Blocked by the barrier of the tall tree above and masked in the dangling tree roots and moss that surrounded them, the team set up a makeshift rest haven to wait out the creature's predatory onslaught.

Sora poked his head out between some of the massive overgrown roots, "We should be safe here from that...thing. Let's make camp."

The three of them had set up one of the useful camping sets that they had collected along their journey and took the moment of solitude for what it was worth. They would have rathered spent the night camping out underneath the slanted trunk of a fallen tree rather than end up in the belly of a beast.

"We'll rest here until the coast is clear."

* * *

Merlin, Lea and Kairi stood in front of the mirror, watching as their reflections stared back at them, the portal to Wonderland vanishing before their eyes and offering no entrance into the realm.

Lea walked up to the mirror and placed his hands on the solid glass, almost as if trying to push his way through, yet the glass didn't budge and certainly did not open a portal to Wonderland. "What the heck happened there?"

Merlin tapped his wand on his hand, "Blasted thing. Can never get this confounded thing to work right."

Kairi looked to the wizard, "Are they okay? Did they make it to Wonderland safely?"

Merlin decided to stop fiddling with his wand in case it decided to act up again and carefully placed it in the pocket of his robe. "Oh, they made it, alright. Let's just hope they find Alice and that other mirror and make it back here in one piece."

Kairi grew concerned, "Is Wonderland a particularly dangerous place?"

"Not particularly, unless you upset the Queen of Hearts, that is. I've heard she's an unreasonable one," the wizard explained.

Kairi let out a small laugh, "And knowing those three..."

"Yep, I'd say they are knee-deep in trouble right now," Merlin chuckled, "But no need to worry, my dear. I'm sure they'll be fine as long as they stick together."

Lea turned from the mirror to the two, "Looks like no trip to Wonderland for us then, huh? Why are the newbies always left out?"

"Don't worry, we'll have our time to go on some adventures soon, too," Kairi reassured him.

Lea smirked and scratched the back of his head, "So, what do we do now? Just sit around and do nothing til they get back? That doesn't sound like a lot of fun to me."

"Sit around and do nothing?" Merlin's eyes widened in question before he let out a small laugh, "Oh, no, I know just the thing to keep the two of you busy!"

"Which is?" the red-haired man questioned.

Merlin smiled and nodded, "We're going to do just what Yen Sid asked of me and we're going to make sure the two of you are trained in combat with your new Keyblades to the utmost ability!"

Lea let out an exasperated sigh, while Kairi giggled.

The wizard's face scrunched up as he smiled, "And I've got quite the impressive regime aligned to start off your training! How would you fair against enchanted furniture, lad?"

"I think I'd rather just sit around and do nothing," Lea finished.

"Nope!" The wizard said, "We've got some serious training to do!"

"Of course we do," the red-head sighed and summoned his Keyblade.

* * *

Riku, Aqua and Yen Sid had left the Second District where the battle with Xehanort had taken place behind and made their way up the stone steps to the First District of Traverse Town. They carefully watched the sky, spying on the winged dark demon, Chernabog, circled through the air. The three of them quickly made their way from corner to corner of the buildings, careful not to let the demon see them as they stealthily moved about the town.

"That thing just won't quit, will it," Aqua said, staring at the creature from behing the corner of the building.

"It won't rest until it seeks what it wants," Yen Sid said, staring up at the winged demon.

"It's after us. In that case, it's not looking to good," Riku said.

"We've got to find a way to take that thing out," Aqua said, turning to Yen Sid. "You said the 'light' would work."

Yen Sid closed his head and bowed, "Yes, but there must be enough of it to extinguish such a demon of great proportions. It's a demon born from pure darkness, one that can only be met in combat against pure light."

Aqua sighed, "Great. Sounds simple." She scanned the area again when Chernabog let out another roar that echoed through the night. Her eyes then caught a glimpse of something off in the lower section of the courtyard. Peeking from behind the corner of the Accessory Shop, down in the main courtyard of the First District, in-between two dimly-lit lanterns, she saw the glowing gizmos and gears of clock pieces in an odd sort of contraption - the same sort of contraption she saw in the realm of darkness when she had to set time back at Cinderella's world.

"What?" Riku asked her.

"Look." She pointed to the gear, "That's the clock gear I was talking about, the ones that set time right. If we activate them, they should be able to make time start moving again in this realm."

"It's at least worth a try," Riku said. As they carefully examined the sky to make sure the dark demon above did not spot them, he, Aqua and Yen Sid made their way down the steps into the center of the district, where they approached the clock gears. "So, what do we do to get this thing to work?"

Aqua summoned her Keyblade forth and struck the gears, watching as the gears and gizmos began to move and glow radiantly. The clock pieces then dissolved into a single, bright shimmering orb, which shot up into the sky and effortlessly floated towards the clock above the Second District. The shimmering orb hovered in the air for just a moment before entering and dissolving into the clock face. They waited for a long moment.

Still 6:54 P.M.

The three of them continued looking up at the clock, waiting for it to begin ticking again.

Riku sighed, "Nothing happened."

Aqua thought and crossed her arms, "In the realm of darkness, there were other clock gears that were needed to set time back, too."

"You think there are others in this town, too?"

She nodded, "Yes, if we found this one and it worked on affecting the clock, there must be others in this town, too. They must be keeping time from moving. But, if we find all of them...and restore all of the pieces to the clock above the Second District..."

"Time should start moving again," Riku finished.

Aqua nodded, "Yeah."

"Then, it'd be best we start searching for these mysterious clock gears," Yen Sid concluded.

"Come on, let's go." The three of them made their way from the First District, starting their search through the other parts of Traverse Town to find the other clock gears, all the while, closely keeping an eye on the dark demon that flew across the sky above.

* * *

On the rolling hills of the evening outskirts of Disney Town, Pete had emerged from within a corridor of darkness along with Hades, Hook, Cruella and Gaston.

"Ah, home sweet home," Pete sighed out.

Cruella walked up next to him, "It's a shame the toons of this dreadful place want to make a coat out of you more than I do, darling."

Pete defeatedly sighed, "Oh, doh! Those toons won't be catchin' me. Not today! No matter how many of 'em that annoying Queen Minnie sends after me!"

Gaston stepped in front of Pete and Cruella, looking off towards the town and the castle. He turned back to his burly comrade, "Please. They won't be catching you because you'll be standing behind us while we do the brunt of the work."

Hades snickered, "So, we break our way in there, find a way into that castle, might have a casualty or two along the way, but c'mon, no big deal, right? We get our hands on that cricket's journals, flood that castle with Heartless, take it over for kicks and make it back to the lair before you can say 'zip-ah-dee-doo-dah.' Easy-peasy."

Pete brought his hands to his chest as he let out a mighty laugh, "Ahaha, let's get this show on the road then."

Cruella looked off towards the huge castle that was surrounded by the many houses and buildings of all shapes, colors and sizes. "Yes, but how the bloody hell do you expect us to get into that blasted castle. There's a wall surrounding the thing."

Hook scratched his chin with his one good hand, "Yes, it's unlikely they would open the doors for some rogue scoundrels like us and invite us in with a warm welcome."

Cruella turned back to the four men behind her, her eyes enraged and her voice strict, "Gentlemen, put your blasted heads together then and think of a plan, before I decide to skin you and make you into new boots to zip up my legs!" She turned to Hook then, flashing a devilish smile. "Oh, not you, James. Mommy has something she'd like you to zip _down_."

Gaston grunted out and moved past the thin woman, keeping the focus on the task ahead. "Enough. There's more important matters at hand other than your lust."

"Says a man who's far too in love with himself to ever have any woman truly love him," Cruella scoffed.

"Shut up." Gaston turned away from the others then and began making his way to the castle.

Cruella let out another small laugh, "You might have some delicious darkness in you, darling, but you are much more handsome with that pretty mouth of yours _shut_."

Hook couldn't help but smile.

Hades rolled his eyes, "Okay, now, now simmer down."

Pete nodded, "Uh-huh, we only got a few more hours before the sun'll be up and we've gotta think of a way to get inta that there castle."

"We're waiting for suggestions," Hook said.

"Hmmm," Pete brought his hand up to his chin, thinking for a long moment as he shifted his weight from one side to the other as he pondered. His pointed ears perked up then, "Ah, I got it!"

Cruella smirked, "Do you now? Well, get on with it then!"

"Listen here," Pete demanded his cohorts' attention, "I know the perfect way for us to sneak into that little town and ol' castle up there! We take the secret utilidoors..."

"The what," Gaston asked, confused.

Hades placed one of his long, bony fingers to his chin, "Yeah, I'm with the new guy. Elaborate."

Pete continued, "They're a series of secret underground tunnels built underneath Disney Town and the Castle that were originally used when 'ol man Scrooge McDuck tried to set up a transit system to get around the town faster. What did he name that thing? Hmm...a...a...a monorail!"

Hook turned to him, "A what now?"

Pete shook his head, "Nevermind about that! The plan was scrapped, but those tunnels are still there on the southern end of the town and travel all throughout it. I'm most certainly certain that one of those underground tunnels'll take us to the castle."

"Alright, sounds easy enough," Gaston said.

"But, wait. Wait wait wait wait!" Pete called out, "The utilidoors entrance is probably well guarded or blocked off in the very least! I dont' know, haven't been down there in years, but those royals definitely wouldn'a left somethin' like that open for any ol' somebody to just go waltzin' on in."

"Hmph, fine." Hades smirked, before extending his arm out, where a flaming orb of inferno fire materialized in the palm of his hand. "In that case, we destroy everything in our path until we get what we want...and settle for nothing less."

* * *

The morning breeze soon swept through the Wonderland woods as the sun's light broke through the trees and blanketed forest ground with its' warm glow.

Underneath the fallen, uprooted tree trunk, Sora awoke to the sound of Donald's snores. He looked over to the side and saw the duck resting his head back on Goofy's stomach as he slept. His eyes were then caught by the orange glow from outside.

"Hey guys. Guys, wake up," Sora whispered out to them, stirring the other two from their sleep. "I think we slept through the night. The coast should be clear."

Goofy tiredly rubbed the back of his head then, "We better get a move on then, huh?"

Donald leapt up and began dismantling the tent, "Yup! Let's find a way to become big again!"

The three had moved out from beneath their unusual shelter, glad to see that the creature that had attacked the night before had seemingly left the Tulgey Wood, at least they had hoped that it did.

The three trekked down the massive woods, passing through a smaller forest of tall, foot-long mushrooms and beautiful, exotic flowers which were bountifully spread along the forest ground.

Donald pouted and crossed his arms, "How are we gonna find something that'll make us big again when we're so small to begin with?"

"Gawrsh, Donald, I don't know. I'm sure we'll find something," Goofy said, confusedly scratching his head.

Something caught Sora's attention further up ahead in the mushroom glade. "Hm? What's that?"

Floating through the air above the mushrooms, were wispy waves of smoke, shaped like letters traveling towards them. ' U.' The letters floated towards them and Sora swatted them away when they had come too close, dissolving the smoke into the air. It was only a moment later before more of the same puffs of smoke letters had returned into the air.

"Come on, let's go check it out," Sora said to them, making his way under the series of mushrooms that led to a small alcove surrounded by tall blades of grass.

The three pushed their past the large greean and yellow leaves and curiously looked on ahead when they heard a dry voice reciting something off ahead of them. " U..."

From behind the leaves, they peered on and saw a blue catepillar sitting on top of a large mushroom smoking from a hookah, puffing letters into the air as he recited them out loud. The three stepped further towards the mushroom, as the catepillar continued it's reciting of the vowels.

"A E I OU... A...A E I-" The catepillar then caught the three looking onward at him and stopped puffing the smoke from the hookah then. "Who...are...you?" The catepillar spoke to the three, puffing vowels of the smoke into their faces with each syllable.

The three coughed and swatted the smoke away, trying to clear away the red and pink smog. Sora spoke, "Oh, us? Well, we're just trying to find our way through the woods, see. And-"

"I do not see." Catepillar took another puff from the hookah, "Explain yourself."

Sora turned back to Donald and Goofy, "Well, um...we got shrunken down to this size and we're just trying to find away to grow bigger again. Do you know anything that could possibly help us?"

The catepillar angrily looked down from the mushroom as he held its' pipe, "You? Who...are...you?" Puffs of smoke continued to seethe from the catepillar's mouth.

Sora, Donald and Goofy coughed from the clouds of smoke that invaded their breathing air.

Sora threw his hands down, angered and annoyed, "Ugh, come on guys. Let's just go!"

As the three began to make their way back to the leaves that concealed the small alcove, the catepillar called back out to them. "Wait, boy! I have something to say! You there, wait!"

Sora crossed his arms, agitated, "Great. What does he want now?" They turned back to him and walked back up to the mushroom. The three stood there for a moment, just watching as the catepillar laid back on the mushroom, puffing rings of smoke into the air. "Well?"

The catepillar sighed out, carelessly, "Keep...your...temper."

Sora crossed his arms and scoffed, annoyed, "Is that all!? Really? Look, we've got things we have to do and we need to become bigger!"

"Why?" The catepillar asked.

Donald threw his hands down, angry, "Because we can't do anything when we're this size!"

The catepillar angrily shot up then, "What do you mean you can't do anything at this size!? I happen to be exactly this size and I think it's a good size indeed!" The catepillar angrily huffed and puffed out of his hookah, it's skin seemingly turning red, as the smoke covered its' form.

Donald stomped, yelling up at the catepillar. "Well, I don't care! I think this size is awful and I want to be bigger again!"

The smoke around the catepillar faded and the skin of the bug, its' former shell, shedded and fell back to the mushroom in a heap.

"Huh?" Sora looked at the mushroom and the remains of the catepillar. Spooky leapt from Sora's shoulder to the remains of the catepillar and poked and prodded it.

They looked up then when they heard the catepillar's voice call out to them. The catepillar had now transformed into a blue butterfly, flapping its' wings at it floated above them now. "By the way, I have a few helpful hints! One side will make you grow taller..."

"One side of what?" Sora called out.

"...and the other side will make you grow shorter," the catepillar finished. "Only a small bite should do it!"

"The other side of what?" Donald asked.

"THE MUSHROOM, OF COURSE!" The catepillar angrily flew down towards them, before floating off into the air and away from the three.

The three turned back to the mushroom then, "Hmm, one side will make you grow taller...and the other will make you grow shorter. Here's hoping we pick the right side..."

Sora went and approached the right side of the mushroom where he carefully picked off a small bite-size piece. "Only a small bite should do it...Here's hoping." He placed the small piece of mushroom in his mouth and moments later, found himself sprouting upwards, growing taller and the forest around him gorwing significantly less larger. He looked down to see Donald, Goofy and Spooky shrinking down in size, almost as if they were now the size of action figures. He was relieved when he felt normal-sized again , knowing that he wouldn't be trekking through a huge forest as the size of a mouse.

"He did it! Our turn now, Goofy!" Donald said, as the two reached up to the mushroom, picked off a piece and ate it, growing back to their respective heights.

They looked down to see the incredibly shrunken Spooky. The Heartless shadow was already small to begin with, but now, with the others returned to their normal size, he looked to be about the size of a bug.

Donald snickered, "Eheheh, so easy...to squash!" The duck raised his foot up into the air, as if to squish the small shadow, which sent Spooky into a frenzy.

"Knock it off, Donald!" Sora said, pushing the duck away and picking up Spooky with his finger. He leant down and picked off a small, crumb-sized piece of the mushroom and gave it to Spooky. The shadow, too, was relieved to grow back to its' original size - a size where Donald could not squish it so easily.

"Hmph, good as new," the Keyblade Wielder said.

Now content that they were no longer small and could navigate Wonderland at a much quicker pace, Sora turned back to his friends. "Alright, guys! Let's go find Alice!"

* * *

After spending the previous evening and the morning dueling with Kairi and training under Merlin, Lea took a moment to rest and found himself walking down the halls through the castle that led to the grand hall at the core of the castle. While Sora, Donald and Goofy were off through the looking glass in Wonderland and Cid was still working on their ship, there wasn't much anything else to do other than wait at this point.

Lea had made his way out of the great hall and into the courtyard at the steps that led up to the castle gates. He was met by the unusual sight as two familiar faces came walking up the steps to the courtyard - two faces of previous Organization members he was once aligned with.

Lea smirked, "Aeleus, Dilan, it's good to see you looking more like yourselves."

Dilan approached the redheaded man, "Hmph, I see you're sneaking off around the castle again, Lea. Just like old times."

Lea inwardly laughed to himself. During his youth as he and Isa spent many days breaking into the castle, they often had to evade Dilan and Aeleus, who guarded the castle. While caught on some occasions, the two were far more easy to sneak around then Lea would have thought.

"Sneaking around? Yeah, right," Lea said. "I've got important things to do in the castle."

Dilan smirked, "Hmph, aligned with the Keyblade wielder and the heroes now, are you?"

Lea scratched the back of his head, "That a problem?"

Aeleus smirked, "...No. We don't blame you for switching sides. Had we known more of what we know now, everything could have been different back during the Organization." He scoffed, "Xemnas played us for a fool. Sent me and the others to Castle Oblivion to get rid of us."

Lea hummed, "Well, to be fair, you were trying to overthrow the Organization."

Aeleus rolled his eyes and turned from the man, "That was Lauriam and Elenar. Besides, we knew of Xemnas' machinations and true intentions. We wanted out. Frankly, we were doing Sora and your new 'friends' a favor."

"Didn't work out for ya, did it? It seems you got more than you bargained for," Lea smirked. "You know Xemnas is back, right? Just another vessel of the original, Xehanort."

Dilan nodded, "Of course we know. We found out what happened to Elenar...It doesn't take a genius to see that Xehanort was sending a warning to us - that he was back. That this is what would happen if we try to run or hide. Elenar just bit the bullet for us and met an unlucky end."

Lea nodded, "Have you seen any of the others in town?"

"We've seen Myde in the marketplace. He works at the coffee shop in the plaza now. Still the same - as lazy as ever and his work ethic hasn't improved. He's still a bit rattled from Elenar's death," Aeleus said. "Even and Ienzo are in town, too. We were together after we resurfaced, but we haven't seem them since."

Lea thought and placed a finger on his chin, "What about Lauriam or Lourd?

Dilan shrugged and shook his head, "Haven't seen them, at least not yet."

"They'll turn up eventually," Aeleus said. "Have you seen Isa?"

Lea lowered his head, "Not for some time, only just after he'd returned...but Xehanort's already sunk his teeth into him. Braig, too. I was afraid he'd try to reach out to some of the other old members, too. Seems he hasn't yet though...which is good, I guess." He sighed, "Braig said his army was built though. He's confident as usual that their leader will get what he wants."

Aeleus spoke, determinedly, "Well, we're not going to live in fear of him - that would only give in to his power over us. We've severed ties...and we're not going back."

Dilan nodded and reluctantly spoke, "Yes, we'll continue to live our lives here and protect the castle grounds...even if it means having to protect the 'heroes'."

Lea smiled, "Glad to hear it."

"Good, because it's your protection that they'll need the most." a masked boy called out behind the three men.

Lea turned from the two to stare at the masked boy, "Wha-...who are you?"

"The darkness." The masked boy sneered out, "You can call me Vanitas."

"Vanitas?" Lea questioned.

Vanitas summoned his dark Keyblade to his grasps, "Now, tell me - where's Sora?"

"He's not here. But I'm not going to tell you where he is," Lea sneered out.

Vanitas darkly laughed, "It must be nice - feeling like you finally belong somewhere, where you have friends you can protect, doesn't it? It feels good finally being your own person."

Lea grunted, unsure of what to say.

Vanitas continued, "The only thing worse than knowing that it could all be taken away...is never having it at all."

Lea stared down the man, "You're another one of Xehanort's puppets, aren't you?"

The masked boy smirked, "You could say that - and the Master sent me on a veryu important quest. It wasn't easy to track you all down. Is someone protecting the boy from Xehanort? Perhaps the old wizard Master you don't think I know about?"

Lea summoned his Keyblade, "I already told you. Sora's my friend! I'm not telling you where he is!"

Vanitas let out another dark laugh and stepped towards the man, "You see, that would be an issue...if Sora was my only target, but he's not."

"What are you talking about," Lea shouted.

Vanitas paced around Lea, "You see, Xehanort certainly does have a plan for Sora in the works, but what he wants...what he really wants right now - is the princess' heart."

Lea's eyes widened, "Ka...Kairi? But...why!? I won't let you!"

Vanitas darkly chuckled, before sliding towards, Lea catching the man off guard and placing him in a choke hold, his arm wrapped around the redhead's neck as he pulled Lea's hair back.

"Stop!" Dilan and Aeleus called to the masked boy, but were frozen in place by a simple move of Vanitas' hand.

Lea struggled against Vanitas' tight grip over him, trying to break free from the boy.

Vanitas leaned down to Lea's face, "You see, I could force you to tell me where the girl is, but I don't have to..."

The boy leaned down and whispered into Lea's ear, " _I already know._ "

And then, Vanitas was gone - vanished into darkness and Dilan and Aeleus were unfrozen then.

Lea's eyes widened, "Kairi...Kairi's in trouble!"

* * *

Kairi had made her way through the castle after her lesson with Lea and Merlin. It felt strange wandering the castle corridors alone. A strange sense of familiarity rose within her heart as she wandered down the hall, but it didn't make sense to her - she could barely recall any of her time living in her childhood home. After all, she had only lived in Radiant Garden until she was four, a year before the world fell to darkness.

Twelve years later and there was still a sense of familiarity about the castle halls that resonated within her, though she didn't understand it.

The castle hall led down to a single room at the long end of the corridor - a part of the castle she had never been to before, at least she believed she had never been. She reached the wooden door of the room and slowly pushed it open.

Inside, she found a small bedroom.

There was a small bed in the corner of the room next to a bookshelf filled with books and children's toys. The room smelled musty and was untouched for years, as if forgotten by time, as thin layer of dust collected over the objects in the room.

'A room...for a child?' Kairi said, examining the room. The sense of familiarity continued to rise within her again. She took a few more steps forward before accidentally stepping on a small dust-covered object which had fallen to the floor. She bent down and went to retrieve the fallen object.

It was a dust-ridden picture, the glass having been shattered. She carefully used her fingers to brush away some of the dust and when it faded, she saw a picture of herself as a child with her grandmother standing behind her. She recalled the days when her mother would use to tell her the story about the light and how its' purest form resided in the hearts of children. Her smile faltered then when she realized it had been years since that time and how greatly she missed her grandmother, but she was gone now.

She continued to wipe away the dust of the picture and then saw her parents standing next to her. She looked over her parents, noting that it was the first time she had actually seen a picture of her father since before she came to the islands years ago. She had always only been living with her mother on the islands. Her father was a tall man, with the same eyes and dark red hair as Kairi. Her mother was a beautiful, thin woman in a long white dress with straight blonde hair down her back. Kairi mentally noted, oddly enough, her mother very much resembled Namine, Kairi's nobody - her other half. If her mother had been her age, she would have looked identical to Namine.

She realized then, the very room she was standing in was her own when she was just a child.

There was another small smudge of dust between her mother and her grandmother. She wiped away the dust and her eyes went wide with what she saw. Standing in the middle of her family, was a tall man in a white laboratory coat with long blonde hair - someone she had recognized as a man who was lost to the darkness a short while ago.

Kairi stuttered out, "Ansem...the Wise?"

All different sorts of thoughts filled her head then about her past and the present. She looked between her mother and Ansem and instantly recognized the resemblance between the two of them. They looked as if they were siblings, with her grandmother as the mother to the both of them.

'Ansem...is my uncle?' she thought. It didn't make sense to her, but it also somehow strangely did. She knew she had lived her childhood here with her parents and grandmother, but then when the world began to crumble to the darkness, her father and grandmother had helped Kairi and her mother escape and the two of them ended up on Destiny Islands. She was separated from her father, from her grandmother...and Ansem now, too, she supposed. She couldn't believe the unexpected familial connection.

'What happened? Why didn't my mom ever say anything?' she thought.

The sound of footsteps from the hall then took her aback and she rose to her feet, removing the picture from the frame and folding it carefully into her pocket. She moved to the door.

"Lea?" She called out and walked to the door, but saw that there was nobody there.

She stood there for a moment, confused.

"No, not Lea," Vanitas called out to Kairi now standing inside the room. "You can call me Vanitas."

Kairi turned back towards the room, surprised. "Who...who are you?" Just seeing the dark, masked boy seemed to send a shiver up her spine. She knew he was no good, just another denizen of the darkness.

Vanitas smirked, "Hmph, let's just cut to the chase. I'm here for your heart - upon Xehanort's request...and I don't want to upset him."

Kairi gritted through her teeth, "Don't come any closer." She summoned her Keyblade to her hands then, unsure if her training was going to serve her well, but she was at least going to try.

Vanitas rolled his eyes and scoffed, "You know, I might consider sparing you...if you tell me where Sora has gone off to."

"Never," Kairi spat back. "And I'm not so easily fooled!"

Vanitas laughed, "You're right. I wouldn't have spared you, but...you would have managed to live longer."

Kairi lifted her Keyblade in front of her in defense, "Why does Xehanort want me dead? Doesn't he want the seven lights to come together so he can forge that X-Blade? It'll never happen though!"

Vanitas smirked and approached the girl, "Xehanort is a patient man. Though, he doesn't mind toying with you all in the meantime. If one of the lights are...snuffed out, a new one will simply rise to take its' place. Regardless, the Keyblade War will begin and Xehanort wi-"

Kairi hit Vanitas hard on the head with her Keyblade, sending the masked boy to the ground, unconscious for a short moment.

Kairi muttered out, seeing the fallen boy and recalling Riku and Merlin's training, "Rule #2 - if you're going to attack someone in combat, just do it and don't talk about it." She took a few steps back from the unconscious man, still watching him, before turning away from the room and running down the hall as fast as she could.

Vanitas lifted his hands to his helmet, clutching his throbbing head, sensing the blood that had dripped down his face from the hard hit. He let out a little chuckle.

"If it's a fight you want, this is going to be more fun that I thought..."

* * *

Sora, Donald and Goofy had made their way through the Tulgey Wood. The woods had opened up to a new section, which had become known to the people and creatures of Wonderland as the Lotus Forest. The forest path swooped through the trees like a loose rope and traveled towards a tree where the path split up into half a dozen directions. Nailed to the tree were posts of signs that read 'This Way' and 'That Way', but never specifiying what the path's direction led to.

Goofy hummed and thought, "Gawrsh, if I was an Alice where would i be?"

"But didn't Alice say that she was from another world and found herself in Wonderland," Donald questioned.

Goofy scratched his head, "Gawrsh, I don't remember."

Sora saw something off in the distance then, down one of the forests many paths. "Come on guys, this way." The three pushed their way through the woods, past the pathes of flowers and mushrooms before they ended up at the wooden gate which led to a small cottage house.

"Hmm, the Tea Party Garden," Donald said out loud.

Sure enough, next to the house was a huge, long table with a pink cloth set up over it filled to the brim with teapots, plates and everything else needed to have a successful tea party. Coloful lights above were strung about. At the far end of the table, a portrait was hung from the hedges that surrounded the garden, but inside, the image of a somehwt silly-looking short man with a rather large hat and a hare with sad expressions on both of their faces was painted.

"Hmm, no Alice here though, either," Goofy said.

"What if she's not here," Donald continued.

Suddenly, a swarm of flower-shaped Heartless appeared on top of the table and the team found themselves caught up in an unexpected battle. The three friends sliced and diced through the new creatures and made quick work of the enemies. In the heat and anticipation of the battle, Goofy struck one of the Heartless in the air just as the same time that Donald cast a fire spell at it. The spell was launched, but instead of hitting the Heartless, the ball of fire was sent into the twine rope that supported the painting on the wall.

The rope was burnt and snapped, sending the portrait to the ground, where it smashed in half, sending the Mad Hatter and March Hare out from inside with a silly shout.

The Mad Hatter rose from the ground then with a laugh, "How long have we been stuck in that thing for?!"

The March Hare dusted himself off, "Approximately one-thousand eight-hundred and thirty unbirthdays!"

"Unbirthdays!?" The Mad Hatter's eyes lit up then, "Why today is my unbirthday!"

"I knew it! I knew it!" The March Hare said, pulling his friend up to the table, "Today is my unbirthday, too!"

The Mad Hatter happily clapped his hands together, "Yes! Oh, yes! We must have the tea! More tea!"

"And sugar!" The March Hare continued.

The three friends awkwardly stood there, watching as the two took a seat down at the long table and grabbed a pile of cups and teapots in front of them.

Sora tilted his head in confusion, "Um, what's happening?"

"Gawrsh, I think they're having a party."

Donald crossed his arms, "Well, it's rude for them to not even say anything to us." The duck went up to the table and took a seat across from the Mad Hatter and Marge Hare. The two instantly froze when the duck took a seat at their table and stared across the way at it. Donald shrugged, "What?"

The March Hare leapt from his seat then, "Talking goose! Talking goose! Take the tea!" The hare shuffled a mountain of teacups and teapots into his arms, turning to the Mad Hatter, "Don't trust talking animals, they're absolutely mad! Mad I tell you!"

Donald cross his arms, angry, "Hey, what do you mean by that!? Don't be so nasty!"

"TEA!?" The Mad Hatter and March Hare yelled out and the two excited placed the cups back on the table. "Of course we have the tea! It's our unbirthday party!"

Sora and Goofy stepped up to the table then and stood next to Donald. Sora spoke to the two strange friends, "You were both trapped in that picture?"

The Mad Hatter stood up, his hands on the table, "Why, yes! This big, awful creature came around and trapped the two of us in that portrait during my unbirthday party!" The Hatter began to tear up, as the tears trailed down his face, "I only get three-hundred and sixty four of them a year." He sobbed.

The March Hare extended his hand out to the Hatter, "There, there, Hatter. There will be more unbirthdays. You have my deepest sympathy."

The Hatter perked up, "Sympathy!? Thee!? TEA!"

"Yes! Yes" The hare clapped, "More tea! More tea! For the unbirthday-est of unbirthday parties! A very merry unbirthday to you!"

"To me!?" The mad hatter questioned.

"To you!" The hare gleefully said,

Sora and Goofy took their place at the seats next to Donald.

As soon as the two sat down along with the duck, the Mad Hatter and March Hare abruptly stopped their tea party celebration and charged towards the three. "No room, no room! Move down!" They bounced up and down, removing the three from their seats in order to make room...even when there was plenty of room for other guests at the table.

The Mad Hatter picked Donald up and removed him from the chair, "Wak! What's the big idea!? Put me down! Put me down!"

The March Hare huffed up, "Hmph, well I never! How rude is it to show up at an unbirthday party without an invitation! We've had these party planned for days!"

"I'll say it's rude! It's very, very rude, indeed," the hatter agreed.

A drowsy mouse appeared from within the lid of one of the teapots, "It's very, very rude, indeed..." The mouse slowly lowered back into the pot, where it fell back asleep.

Sora scoffed, "You've had this planned for days? You'd still be trapped in that picture if it weren't for us!"

"Picture!? PITCHAAA!" The hare called out, "We need a pitcher of tea! Nice, refreshing iced cold tea!"

"Oh, yes! Yes, yes! Quite merrily so," the hatter agreed. "Both hot and cold and cold and hot and all of the tea we can find!"

Sora sighed, "Well, you enjoy yourselves doing whatever it is you're doing then..." The three of them made to leave the garden then.

The Hatter's face fell then, "Wait, where are you going!? The party's only just begun!"

Donald turned back and angrily stomped his foot, "You just kicked us out, you big palooka!"

"Us?" the hatter pointed to the hare.

"Me?" the hare pointed to himself.

"You!?" the hatter pointed to the hare.

"We!" the hare pointed to the hatter.

Sora rolled his eyes, "Why is everything so confusing around here?"

The Hatter took Sora's arm and led him to one of the seats, "Now, now, don't be silly! Nothing like a nice cup of tea to raise your spirits." The Hatter sat Sora down in one of the seats.

Sora sighed, "Thank you, I gue-"

"Wrong seat! Wrong seat!" The hare called out and went over to Sora, pulling him out of the seat.

"Very wrong seat, indeed," the hatter said. "Who comes to a tea party and sits in the wrong seat!?"

Sora rolled his eyes, as the Hatter and the Hare leapt up to remove Sora from his seat and move him to another one, "But you just sat me down in that seat yourself."

"Did we?" the Hatter's eyes grew big and he smiled with his tongue dangling from his mouth.

"We?" The hare asked appalled, "We..."

"TEA!"

"Yes, oh, yes, the tea! How could we forget the tea!?" The Hatter questioned, before taking his place and scooping a mountain of sugar into his cup only to put a small drop of tea in it. He stirred the cup with his finger, "So, what brings you to our tea party with this talking goose and that BIG HORSE!?"

Sora tilted his head in confusion, "Er...um, well, we were trying-"

"Fascinating story! Kept me on the edge of my seat!" The hare excitedly shouted, "What next?!"

"Oh, what a delightful person! You must have a cup of tea, though! Every story is better with a cup of tea!" The Hatter stood on the table and made his way over to Sora, pouring the tea into a large cup for him. The Hatter threw the teapot into the air behind him.

"Sugar!?" The hare asked.

"Of course! You can't have tea without sugar!" The Hatter explained, again, dumping a mountain of sugar into the cup - the entire dish of sugar, in fact. "Oh, dear! Oh dear! We're all out of sugar!" The Hatter threw the empty dish of sugar into the tree behind him, it seemingly disappearing into the air.

"It's okay," Sora began, "I really don't nee-"

"Clean cup, clean cup!" The Hatter called out, "Move down!"

The Hatter lifted Sora from his chair, moving him down a seat to a clean, empty cup.

"Clean cup, clean cup, move down, move down, clean cup, clean cup, move down," the hare sung.

The Mad Hatter finally grinned and smiled, "Yes, oh yes, now time for the tea." He let out a small giggle, raising the teacup to his lips. "WAIT!" He shot up, the tea cup flying through the air. "How silly of me to forget! Is today your unbirthday, too, other person?"

Sora shrugged, "Um, yeah...I guess...uh what is an unbirthday?"

The Hatter clapped his hands together excitedly, "Oh, how exciting! Most exciting! Let's have a tea party to celebrate!"

"But you're already having a tea party?" Sora sat, confused.

The March Hare stood from the table then, "I have an excellent idea - let's change the subject!" He pulled a wooden mallet out from under the table and smashed it down on the Hatter's head.

The Hatter, with stars in his vision, spoke drowsily, "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

"A what?" Donald asked.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?! What!?" Sora repeated back.

The Hatter shot up, "I beg your pardon!"

"Why is a raven like a writing desk," Sora repeated again.

The Hatter screeched in fear, "Why is A WHAT!?"

The Hare hid behind the Hatter then, shaking in fear, "CAREFUL! He's mad! Mad I tell ya!"

Sora stood up astonished then, "Me, mad?! It's the two of you who are mad! With your stupid tea and your stupid move down move down and your stupid riddles! We're out of here! We have important things to do here and we just don't have the time to deal with this!"

The Hare's eyes grew wide and he called out, "THE TIME! THE TIME! WHO'S GOT THE TIME!?"

The White Rabbit came sprinting in through the open gate then, with a large ticking pocket watch in his hands. He nervously fiddled with the glasses on his face as he ran in, "No, no, no, no, no time! No time at all! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!"

"The White Rabbit," Sora whispered to himself, before turning to Donald and Goofy, "Maybe he can help clue us in to where Alice is?"

"Oh, I'm so late! I'm so very late!" The White Rabbit said, but was stopped when the Mad Hatter pulled his pocket watch from him.

The Hatter lifted his ear to the clock and listened, "Well no wonder you're late! This clock is exactly two days slow!"

"Two days slow!?" The rabbit whimpered, "Oh, no. Oh, no. No. No. No."

The Hatter dunked the clock in a cup of tea, "Of course you're late! My goodness! We'll have to look into this!" The Hatted slammed the clock down on the table and opened it up, inspecting the moving gears inside. "Ahhhh! I see what's wrong with it! Why, this watch is full of wheels!" The Hatter grabbed a spoon and started prying all of the clock gears from within, as they sprung and shot about the garden.

The White Rabbit's eyes widened, "Oh, my poor watch! But-but-b-but but-but-"

"Butter, of course!" The Hatter nodded ecstatically at the rabbit's suggestion. "We need some butter! BUTTAAAAAAA!"

"BUTTAAAAA!" The March Hare called, delivering a tray of butter to the Hatter.

"Oh, butter, yes, thank you!" The Hatter scooped up the butter and spread inside the clock. "Yes, that's fine!"

"Oh, no! No! No! You'll ruin it!" The White Rabbit warned.

"Oh, this is the best butter! What are you taling about!?" The Hatter said, "What else?"

"Tea?" The hare suggestted.

"Tea!? Oh, I never thought of tea!" The hatter began pouring the hot liquid over the clock. "What else? What else!?"

"Sugar!?" The hare asked.

"Sugar! Oh, yes! Two spoons!" The Hare gave the Hatter two spoons, who pounded them down into the clock.

"Jam!?" The Hare handed the Hatter a jar of jam.

"Jam! Oh, yes! I forgot all about the jam!" The Hatter said, before emptying the entire jar of jam into the clock.

"Mustard?" The hare asked.

"Mustard! Oh, yes! Mustard, we-" The Hatter stood up then, eyes wide, "MUSTARD!? Don't let's be silly...Lemon, that's different." He squeezed a lemon's juice into the clock gears then slammed the clock shut. "There!"

As soon sa the clock was shut, it started sputtering and shaking about violently and rapidly! It opened and snapped shut like a crocodile's jaws and sputtered and spewed about, sending the concoction of ingredients inside all over the garden.

"Look at that!" The Hatter said.

"It's going mad!" The hare said.

"We better get out of here!" Sora warned Donald and Goofy as the three of them backed away from the table.

"It's gone mad!" The hare said again.

"Oh, no," the rabbit cried, distressed.

The Hare's eyes went wide in shock and fear, "Mad watch! MAD WATCH! MAD WATCH! MAD WATCH!"

The Hatter screamed, appalled, "Mad watch, oh my!"

"There's only one way to stop a MAD WATCH!" The hare screeched, raising his mallet above his head and bringing it down hard onto the clock, smashing it into a thousand pieces.

The Hatter froze seeing the smashed watch. He smiled and turned to rabbit, "Two days slow. That's what it is."

"Oh, my watch, my precious pocket watch. And it was an unbirthday present, too," the White Rabbit cried out then.

From overhead then, a ferocious roar was heard. A moment later the same creature that had nearly trampled Sora, Donald and Goofy the day before appeared again. Although smaller now than compared to yesterday when the three had seen it in their shrunken state, it was still ferocious and terrifying!

The Mad Hatter, March Hare and White Rabbit screamed and ducked under the table as the creature swooped through the forest above.

The March Hare pointed out from under the table, "That's it! That's the one!"

The Mad Hatter nodded and screamed, "That's the creature that trapped us in that portrait! Go, shoo! Shoo! No tea for you!"

"No, no! Oh, no!" the White Rabbit cried, "Don't antagonize the thing!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy ducked down when the creature let out another cry from above, before flying off to another part of the forest.

The three Wonderland residents climbed out from under the table, but the Mad Hatter and March Hare seemed unfazed, going directly back to their tea party after the creature was gone.

Sora turned to the White Rabbit, "What is that thing?"

"Oh, things have certainly changed in Wonderland," the White Rabbit said, "That creature...is known as the Jabberwocky - a terrifying creature!"

"Terrifying is an understatement," Sora mused. "The Jabberwocky, hm?"

The White Rabbit continued, "It disappeared from Wonderland some time ago, but now it's come back. No one has ever been able to defeat, but...no one has really tried, either, out of fear, of course. I've heard rumors of it and I can't say for sure, but I've heard that only a certain blade will be able to slay that monster."

Sora turned back to his friends, "Hm, wonder if we could take it on?"

"Preposterable!" The Hatter said, rising from the table and his new cup of tea, "A creature like that? You silly, silly fellow!"

"He's right, that he is! That he is!" The March Hare shouted, "Anybody who takes on the Jabberwocky is sure to be absolutely mad! Mad, I say! Impossible!"

Sora placed his hands behind his head, "Hm, it's kind of fun to do the impossible."

Donald chastized, "But Sora, remember - we're here to find Alice!"

"Right." Sora nodded and turned to the White Rabbit, "Rabbit, do you know where Alice is? Has she come back to Wonderland?"

The White Rabbit stuttered, "Oh, no. No. No. I couldn't say."

"So she has returned," Donald exclaimed.

"Er, well..."

"Go on! Where's Alice," Donald asked.

The White Rabbit sighed and began fiddling with his broken pocket watch, "Alice came back a little bit ago, but when she returned the Queen of Hearts captured her and threw her into the castle dungeon until her trial!"

"Another trial," Goofy asked. "What for?"

"I'm not too sure. You know how the Queen of Heart's temper can be," the White Rabbit sighed, "If there's any chance of making it to Alice, you'll have to find a way into the Queen's castle, but be careful! She's become rather merciless nowadays! And that Jabberwocky certainly isn't helping!"

Sora nodded, "Okay, thanks Rabbit, but how do we find the Queen's ca-"

"Oh, no! No! No! I'm late! I'm late, for a very important date!" The White Rabbit began running again when he saw the time on his broken watch, "This time the queen will have my head for sure!" He ran off back into the woods.

Donald sighed, "So, now what do we do?"

The Hatter called out, "Yoo hoo! You could always join us for tea!"

Sora rolled his eyes, "I think we'll pass." The three began to move away from the garden and back into the forest, where the path split back into several more paths that led to many different parts of the dark forest.

Goofy scratched his head, "Well, now where do we go?"

Sora peered out and looked off through the distant forest around them, "We have to go find a way to get to the Queen's castle."

* * *

Kairi sprinted through the halls of the great hall, not really having a specific location she was headed to, just anywhere away from that deranged boy that had ambushed her in her childhood bedroom.

Her breath grew heavy as she bolted through the large doors of the castle and out into the open courtyard in front of it. She ran closer to the stairs, figuring she could at least try to make it back to Merlin's house where the wizard could offer her some sort of protection. However, before she could make it to the stone steps that led to the garden walkway, Vanitas leapt from one of the above balconies of the castle and landed right in front of Kairi, blocking the girl off from her path and, more importantly, her escape.

"End of the line," Vanitas darkly said out and stepped closer towards Kairi. "Hmph, I'm impressed. You have some fight in you for such a pretty thing."

Kairi sneered out and stumbled back, "Stay back! I'm warning you!"

Vanitas laughed to himself, "If you want a fight, then fight. I just came to enjoy the show."

"Ugh, you could use a few lessons on talking to women," Kairi sneered out and summoned her Keyblade. "I'd happily give them to you after I beat you."

"Mmm, just so you know, I like it rough. No need to be gentle," Vanitas leaned forward, "Here's hoping you like the same."

"You're gross," Kairi spat out, before lunging towards the masked boy with her Keyblade. He instantly summoned his and their blades met with a clash.

He smirked, "Hmph, such nasty words for such a pretty face." He used his superior strength to push the girl back. "You're going to have to do better than that if you think you're going to defeat me. But, hmph, that's right, you can't, newbie."

"Bite me," Kairi sneered.

"Ooh, with pleasure," Vanitas let out a dark chuckle, before leaping I'm into the air, raising his Keyblade above his head and bringing it down.

Kairi quickly leaped out of the way, falling to the ground, rolling to her knees. She quickly regained her composure. It wasn't the most graceful of evasive manuevers, but at least she missed the attack. She ran up towards the man again and struck him with the Keyblade, before he deflected the attack with his own Keyblade.

Vanitas fended off Kairi's attack and counter-attacked, bringing his Keyblade down hard against Kairi's. The princess of heart had barely just enough time to deflect the attack, but felt the wind taken out of her lungs as Vanitas raised his foot and kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying down onto her back.

Vanitas laughed, "Seems you still have some learning to do. A word of advice - learn to rely on more than just the weapons at your disposal." The man slowly approached her, predatorily.

Kairi scooted back along the ground, only managing to move back a few inches when she whimpered out, feeling herself become lost in Vanitas' shadow as he loomed over her.

Vanitas sneered and leaned down closer to her, holding his Keyblade above her chest. "I said I was going to take your heart...and now, I'm going to do just that."

He rose the Keyblade up, ready to plunge it into her chest as Kairi tightly shut her eyes.

Vanitas then stumbled when he was hit hard on the head. He dropped his Keyblade on the ground next to him and clutched his helmet.

Kairi opened her eyes, surprised, watching the masked boy in front of her collapse to the floor, seeing Lea standing behind him.

Kairi whispered out, relieved, "Lea...you saved me."

He extended his hand out to her and helped her up off of the floor, "Are you alright?"

She nodded her head as she caught her breath, looking down at the masked boy, "Y-yeah, I think so."

Lea also looked down at Vanitas, "He came to me before he went after you. I knew you would need some help."

Kairi nodded, "Thank you."

"No thanks necessary," Lea's face grew more concerned then. "Although, he said he was also after Sora..."

"I know," Kairi frowned. "We have to be careful and tell Sora everything. But...who is he? This...Vanitas? He's working for Xehanort, that's for sure, but...what is he?"

"I don't know, but we're about to find out." Lea said, moving down to the boy, placing his hands on the mask to remove it.

Vanitas let out a wicked, loud laugh then, causing Lea to lurch back and summon his Keyblade for battle.

Vanitas sprung back up to his feet then, Keyblade in hand. "Did you really think I'd be finished off so easily? You must have forgotten - I have the darkness on my side...and the darkness always prevails."

"Why don't you quit it already," Kairi shouted. "What do you want with Sora? Why can't you just leave us alone!?"

Vanitas laughed again, "Sora's a pushover. He'll just be another pawn to Xehanort. You see, I don't have to do anything to destroy Sora - he's going to do it all by himself."

Kairi gritted through her teeth, "I won't let that happen! What do you mean!?"

Vanitas only laughed out.

"Answer me!" Kairi demanded.

Vanitas sneered out and pointed his Keyblade towards her, "No. Now...for what I've come here for...your heart."

Kairi and Lea prepared for battle, but just as Vanitas charged towards them, the masked boy froze in his place, like something had stopped him right in his tracks.

Kairi and Lea tilted their heads at the unexpected outcome, fully anticipating to be launched into another battle, but there, right in front of them, Vanitas stood, frozen in time.

Kairi looked around, "Wh-what happened?"

"I...I don't know, but we shouldn't stay here." He motioned to her towards the steps that led back to the town. "Come on. We should go to Merlin. He might have something that could protect us until Sora and the others get back."

The two quickly made their way down the castle steps, leaving the masked boy behind.

From one of the landings high, high above on the castle, a figure in a dark, black Organization robe looked down, glad to see that they had made it just in time to help the two escape.

* * *

Riku, Aqua and Yen Sid had spent another hour or so exploring Traverse Town, looking for the clock gear pieces that would be needed to hopefully set time right again in the time-frozen town. They carefully moved about the town, knowing that Chernabog was keeping a close eye over all of Traverse Town. Though their quest to find the missing gear pieces was futile until now, they kept their search and their hopes up as they retraced their steps back to the First District of the town.

Riku sighed, "Well, we looked through the Gizmo Shop, the alleys, the houses in the Third District, but...nothing."

Aqua pouted and crossed her arms as she made her way in-between a pair of street lanterns. "Hmm, what about that way." She pointed off to a small, off-the-beaten path alcove in the corner of the FIrst District, just next to the cafe. What caught her attention was a large door that led to another district of the town. "I don't think I even noticed it before."

Riku shrugged, "This town is...mysterious, to say the least. This leads to the Fountain Courtyard and the other parts of Traverse Town. I didn't even know about it until recently. This town is just...full of surprises."

The three made their way over to the door and entered into the fountain plaza. They had walked down the large open street, but only a few steps in, a group of a dozen Heartless creatures appeared. Riku and Aqua unleashed their Keyblades, ready to take on the creatures, but were stopped when Master Yen Sid placed a hand on Aqua's shoulder, as he nodded to Riku.

"Allow me," Yen Sid said, standing in front of the two.

The skilled sorcerer simply raised his Keyblade into the air. From within the end of his blade, a jet of piercing blue light emerged from within, shooting up into the sky. Just a moment later, beams of light shot down from the heavens above and descended back down towards the earth, where the light glowed so radiantly, Aqua and Riku had to shield their eyes. When the light had faded, every last one of the Heartless had miraculously vanished, leaving no trace behind.

Aqua mused, "Hmph, flawless."

Riku turned to her with a smile, "He's the best."

Yen Sid shrugged, like the manuever was nothing. "What can I say? Light is my specialty. I'd like to see that Xehanort do something like that," the sorcerer said with a small chuckle.

Aqua smiled, "It's definitely impressive. I've never seen magic as strong as that."

"Oh, my dear. Not just magic - light magic, the strongest magic of all. It's a type of power that uses the light to protect those in need, those you care about," Yen Sid explained. "It's a power Xehanort could never learn because he never believed in it."

Riku turned to Aqua, "Back when Yen Sid was your age, training alongside Eraqus and Xehanort, he was the best of the best. The most skilled Keyblade wielder with magical abilities."

Yen Sid smirked, "Now, I wouldn't say I was the best..." he paused and chuckled to himself, "...alright, I was pretty good. I remember, every time I had challenged Xehanort, he couldn't compete against my magic and he sulked around like an upset child for days."

Riku repeated again, "Like I said, Master Yen Sid is the best."

Yen Sid turned to Aqua, "You know, although my Master had individually trained Eraqus, Xehanort and I, many of my own magical talents I taught myself on my own upon many years of training and experimentation ever since I was just a boy."

Aqua nodded and lowered her head, "That must have been nice. After my parents died when I was only a baby, I was sent from place to place, never really able to find someone to look after me because all of them began to fear my magic when it started to grow more powerful. I never really...had the chance to use my magic to its' fullest potential until Eraqus took me in when I was just a young girl."

Yen Sid bowed, "Yes, I remember Eraqus' letter to me telling he had taken a young girl into his care...and how he thought the young Terra might have had a small flickering flame for her."

Aqua turned to him, blushing, "Oh...really?"

Yen Sid chuckled, "Something like that."

She smiled and chuckled, "Interesting."

The sorcerer turned to her, "Aqua, I see a lot of myself and my own experiences in you and I would like to see your magic reach its' fullest potential. If you are interested, after this war with Xehanort has ended, I would like to continue training you in the magical arts, if you should welcome that."

Aqua was taken aback by the unexpected offer, but smiled up at the skilled sorcerer. "I...would consider it an honor. Thank you, Master Yen Sid."

The three made their way under a small building archway, which then opened up into the wide courtyard which almost seemed to be the size of a small town in it of itself. At the far end of the courtyard, there was a huge fountain with several jets of water emerging from within. However, the jets of water seemed to be frozen in place - another piece of the town frozen in time. Tall pillars emerged from within the center of the fountain.

"Well, would you look at that," Riku said, pointing up to the top of the pillar at the center of the fountain and, sure enough, there was a clock gear at the top of the tallest pillar.

"Hm, should be easy enough. I've got this one," said Aqua, who began jumping from pillar to pillar as she ascended up the center of the fountain. When she had reached the top pillar, standing just next to the gear, she struck the magical item with her Keyblade, watching as the gears of the clock gizmos began moving together again. The gears disintegrated into a magical golden orb, which took off into the sky and flew towards the Second District clock.

Moments later, the fountain's water began moving again.

"Hmm, the fountain's moving again." Riku observed, "I think that gear got some things in town to start working again."

"That was simple enough, but there's still at least another gear out there to find," Aqua said, jumping back down to the ground.

Yen Sid shushed them then, "Wait. Look." The sorcerer pointed upwards towards the sky.

Surrounding the town, slowly stretching up towards the sky, a barrier of darkness seemed to spread around, like an orb trapping the town inside the darkness. It slowly creeped upwards towards the sky, like spilled paint, streaking across the sky. From within the darkness then, spirits began to emerge cloaked in dark robes, their bony hands and fingers stretched outwards into the night. The summoned spirits let out wails of agony into the dark night.

"It's that creature," Yen Sid said, looking upwards, "Chernabog. He's blanketed the world in darkness. There isn't much time now. He must be stopped!"

Aqua nodded, "We've got to get that clock moving again and quickly."

The three watched as the spirits flew through the air, heading back towards the Second District.

Riku's eyes widened, "Wait, they're heading back towards the clock tower!"

Aqua turned to him, concerned, "Ansem the Wise is there!"

"We must make haste," Yen Sid commanded, leading the two out of the fountain plaza and back towards the FIrst District.

"We've gotta defeat that demon and get the clock to start ticking again," Aqua called out to both of them.

Riku sighed, sprinting along with the two, "It's gonna be a race against time, that's for sure."

* * *

Sora, Donald and Goofy trailed through the woods endlessly, looking for an opening out of the woods that would hopefully lead to the Queen of Hearts' castle, but after the continuous walking, they just hoped to be led somewhere our of this eternal forest. Another hour or so must have passed before Sora, Donald and Goofy abruptly stopped on the endless trail just next to a large tree.

Sora sighed, frustrated, "Ugh, this is useless. We're not getting anywhere."

"Now, don't think that way, Sora," Goofy tried re-assuring. "I'm sure the Queen's castle is around here somewhere. Gawrsh, does any of this look familiar?"

Donald shrugged and waved his hands, "No, all I see is forest! It's all starting to look the same."

"I think we're lost..." Sora said.

"Lost are we," a sly voice came from the tree above them. They looked up to see a pink and purple cat materialize from out of the darkness.

"It's that cat!" Donald said.

A wide smile appeard across the cat's features, "A cheshire cat. And so you've returned to Wonderland, have you? Everything is so much more stranger now. You're stranger, I'm stranger - together, we are strangers."

Sora unnervingly stuttered, "Um, I think we lost our way. Do you know which way we should go?"

"Well, that depends on where you want to get to," the cat's smile grew wider. "This way, that way, up, down, left, right! All paths to go, but not an end in sight!" The cat let out a loud laugh and rolled back on its' back.

"No, wait! Don't go," Sora called back to the castle. "We're lost. Please, just help us find our way."

The cat returned and placed its' chin in its' paws, "Naturally. You have no way in Wonderland. All ways here are the Queen's ways."

Sora called out after the cat as it started to disappear again, "Please, we're just trying to get to her castle. Can you show us the way?"

The cat stood up and pointed to the left, "Some go this way..." he pointed to the right, "...some go that way, but...as for me myself, I prefer the short cut..." The cat reached and over and pulled down on a tree branch as if it was some kind of lever and a secret door was pulled down within the tree, revealing a secret passage to the grounds of the Queen's castle.

"Thank you," Sora nodded and smiled up at the cat, before proceeding through the tree bark with Donald and Goofy.

"Be careful, now! The Queen will be mad about you! She'll be simply mad!" The Cheshire Cat said, before fading away into the darkness with a laugh.

The three made their way into the twisting, turning hedge maze in the courtyard in front of the Queen's castle. The tall green shrubs lined a confusing and disorienting path that led down many twisting turns meant to get one lost, often times leading to dead end after dead end.

Goofy hummed, "Gawrsh, the forest was confusing, but this is even more confusin'er."

The three then heard several approaching footsteps.

"Someone's coming. Let's hide," Sora said, calling out to his friends as they hid behind one of the tall hedge walls. From around the corner, Sora spied on a group of card soldiers with hearts and spades individually on them as they charged through the maze towards the castle.

"Oh, no! We're late!" One card yelled, "The Queen will certainly want our heads!"

"It's not our fault!" Another continued, "We were making sure all the roses were painted red!"

"It's entirely our fault!" A third called yelled, "We planted bushes with white roses instead of red in the first place!"

"Enough squabbling! We must report to the castle or we'll lose our heads! We certainly will!"

The cards charged off through the hedge maze and towards the castle as the three friends moved from their hiding spot.

"Well, it doesn't seem like we'll have to worry about any cards blocking our path what with some assembly going on," Sora said.

Donald nodded, "And it doesn't seem like they're the smartest soldiers, either!"

"Let's head to that castle," Goofy said.

The team quickly made their way through the hedge maze which was built around the castle. They passed under heart-shaped hedge archways, passed red-painted rose bushes and along the way, met dead end after dead.

"Dead end," Donald said at the end of the path. They turned the corner, trying to navigate by looking at the casltle in the distance ahead of them.

"Another dead end down this way, too," Goofy said. They turned back and made their down the way they came.

"Dead end here, too," Donald said.

Sora grunted out, "Okay, that does it!" He summoned his Keyblade and slashed through the hedge shrub.

"Sora, what are you doing!?" Donald said.

He turned back to them, "I'm getting to that castle! I don't care if I have to slash my way through this entire maze!" He slashed and cut through the maze again, slicing through the shrub walls, leaving opened passages behind as they arrived closer and closer to the castle. As they had made it to the other side of the maze, there was a straight line of their route from where Sora had cut through.

They made it to a large open area of the maze then, where there was a straight passage that led right up to the Queen's castle.

"Alright! Let's go," Sora called out to Donald and Goofy, running towards the castle.

Once they got to the back end of the castle, they careully peered out from the hedges, looking on at the assembly. In a large courtyard surrounded by heart-shaped hedges, the cards had gathered and on a tall podium throne that stood above all of them, the Queen of Hearts sat, calling them all to order.

They listened as the Queen of Hearts called out, "For desecrating my royal flower garden and appearing tardy for our assembly, you cards shall pay! Off with your heads!"

The cards looked terrified, as other card soldiers grabbed the guilts cards and dragged them away, off through the hedge maze, never to be seen again.

"Oh geez, that doesn't look good," Donald said.

"Come on, let's get inside that castle before we're caught," Sora said, making his way around the castle with Donald and Goofy before they arrived at the side entrance of the castle. They took a moment to look around to make sure they weren't caught, before they pushed open the castle doors and made their way inside.

"Alice has be to in here somewhere," Sora said, looking around the small entrance chamber of the castle. The room was filled with heart-shaped objects everywhere. The mirror, the doorways, the patterns on the floors and walls - all shaped in hearts.

"Hmm, the White Rabbit said that Alice was in the dungeon," Goofy said.

"Let's take a look before the Queen comes back," Donald said, leading the way into the castle.

They had come across a spiraling staricase which led to a large undercroft beneath the castle. The place was a bit dark and dank, especially when the rest of the world was so wondrously colorful. They figured that this must have led to the dungeon and Alice must have been somewhere inside.

Sure enough, the undercroft led passage to a small dungeon area and behind a small series of locked iron bars, Alice sat in the dark cell, her knees lifted up to her chest.

"Alice? Alice!" Sora called out to her, as he and her friends ran over o her cell.

Her eyes filled with hope then and she smiled, rising to her feet and running to the iron bars, "Sora! Donald! Goofy! Why, how did you get here?"

"We were looking for you. The White Rabbit said the Queen of Hearts captured you," Sora explained. "What happened? Why did you come back to Wonderland...?"

Alice placed her hands on the iron bars, "Oh, it was frightening. I had returned back to my home world after my last trip to Wonderland and everything was fine for the longest time. But then, not too long ago, a man came to my home and tried to take me away."

Sora tilted his head, a concerned look on his face, "This man, did he say who he was?"

"N-no, but he looked more frightening than any of those dark creatures that roam about, with the most scariest golden eyes and twisted face I've ever looked into," the young girl said. "I was so frightened, I took off and found myself crawling back into the rabbit hole, hoping he wouldn't find me there. Before I knew it, I fell in head over heels and the Queen of Hearts found me and...here I am now, I suppose."

Donald turned to the others, "Xehanort was after you..."

"Or one of his follower-ers." Goofy said.

Alice looked up, concerned, "Who?"

Sora continued, "There's a man out there - a bad man named Xehanort. He is responsible for all of this - the darkness, the Heartless, what happened when you were taken years ago, it all traces back to him. He has a goal to enact a new war in hopes of obtaining Kingdom Hearts in hopes of creating a new universe - one of his design, one where darkness could rule over all."

Alice lowered her head, concerned, "Oh, dear. That sounds terrible. You...you're trying to stop him, though, aren't you?"

Sora nodded, "Yes, but we're going to need your help, all of the princesses' help. Xehanort, he...he's working faster than I thought. He'd already tried to go after you."

"If he collects all the princesses, he'll obtain a pathway that will open to Kingdom Hearts and it'll be his for the taking," Donald explained. "We can't let that happen!"

"And we can't let any of the princesses' fall to Xehanort, either," Sora said, turning back to Alice.

Alice nodded, determined, "How can I help? What do you want me to do?"

"We need you to come with us, Alice - back to Radian - er, Hollow Bastion. Well, it's called Radiant Garden nowadays."

Goofy nodded, "Yepp, we gotta keep you safe from Xehanort and gather the other princesses, too. Our good friend Merlin has a secret room in the castle that only we know of, a place where you'll be safe while we take care of Xehanort and save the worlds! Gawrsh, I promise it's a lot nicer than this place, Alice."

Alice smiled and nodded, "Oh, don't worry about me. I'd be happy to help and breaking me out of this prison and helping me escape would be a favor I'd be so thankful for!"

"Don't mention it," Sora nodded and smiled.

Donald looked around the tiny dungeon chamber then and his eyes lit up when he saw something on the opposite wall of Alice's cell, "Wak! Sora, look!"

He pointed to the wall, where a tall, rectangular mirror stood. It was identical to Merlin's, the one that they had used to travel to Wonderland in the first place.

"That's it! That's the other mirror," Sora said, moving to the wall, having been too distracted by Alice to not have seen it sooner.

Goofy thought, "Just like Merlin said. There'd be an identical mirror in this world, too."

Alice looked confusedly between the three and the mirror, "I don't understand. The Queen of Hearts had it brought down here just a short while ago. It's just an ordinary looking glass."

"No, no it's not. This is the way out of here, back to Radiant Garden. The Queen probably just didn't want others to find and use it," Sora explained. "We traveled here through a mirror...and this is how we'll escape, too."

Alice clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, "Oh, excellent!"

"Yep, let's get you out of there," Sora said, raising his Keyblade to the padlock-sealed iron bars. From within his Keyblade, a beam of light appeared and was sent into the small keyhole of the lock. The lock opened and fell to the floor, as Alice slowly pushed open the cell door and stepped out, free to escape with the others.

Sora nodded and turned from the cell, "Okay, let's get that mirror working and get out of Wonderland."

A sudden rumble shook the entire castle then, as the same ferocious roar they had heard before echoed from the outside all the way down into the dungeon chambers.

Alice's eyes widened, "What was that?"

Sora turned away from her and towards the dungeon exit, "The Jabberwocky...!"

Goofy crossed his arms, "Gawrsh, if we don't do something about that thing, it'll just keep on causing problems for Wonderland."

Sora led them away from the dungeon then and made their way back up the stairs to the top of the castle, "Come on, let's go check it out."

The friends and Alice had made their way to the balcony on one of the tiers of the castle and looked out over the hedge maze that stretched out before them. With the Queen of Hearts nowhere in sight, her guards frantically scattered and ran about the maze, trying to escape, the Jabberwocky floated above, letting out a ferocious roar as it swooped down and ran through the cards, destroying a large chunk of the hedge maze along with it. The cards flew up into the air, as if they were tossed, before they fell down flat, like a house of cards caving in.

"It looks like there's no more hiding from this thing now," Goofy said, as the creature let out another ferocious roar.

"Fine, then." Sora said, preparing for battle. "If it wants a battle, then let's finish it off."

"Sora!" Donald called out, watching as Sora ran to the edge of the castle balcony.

"Sora, be careful!" Goofy called out.

"Hey!" Sora, at the edge of the balcony, waved his hands and called upwards to the Jabberwocky.

The Jabberwocky then noticed the Keyblade Wielder at the castle and let out a blood-curdling roar, as it swooped itself down towards the earth, disregarding the card soldiers, and bolting at Sora. It screeched, as it spread it's wings, opening it's massive razor-sharp jaws, capable of devouring Sora in a single bite. It's claws were so adept at catching its' prey, nothing could possibly escape it.

Sora steadied his footing, staring up into the flame-eyed creature as it descended down upon him. Just as the creature's jaws reached right in front of Sora, the young man leapt from the balcony and jumped onto the Jabberwocky's back. The creature, in a temporary state of confusion, certain that it would devour the young man, let out a roar realizing that it had been evaded and that its' very prey was now dangling from its' back like a loose thread needing to be pulled.

The creature shot up through the sky then, traveling dozens of feet above the Wonderland hedge maze. It twisted it's body back and forth, writhing and struggling through the air as it tried to pry Sora from its' backside.

Sora, who was now barely hanging on from one of the creature's wings with a solid hand, gritted and struggled to keep himself up, especially with the creature thrashing about. He tried using his Keyblade to attack the creature's backs and wings, but its' skin was so tough, the Keyblade was simply deflected off of it.

From the castle balcony below, Donald, Goofy and Alice watched the creature manuever through the air as Sora struggled.

"He needs our help," Goofy said, but knowing that there was nothing that they could really do now trhat the battled had moved so far away from the castle.

Sora continued struggling against the creature, slowly losing his grip on the winged-beast. From within his hood, Spooky emerged and bounced up onto the creature's back, hopping the way up its' long neck, before it went to obstruct the creature's vision. As Spooky placed his hands over the creature's eyes, the Jabberwocky let out another giant roar as it's vision was impared. It tried moving it's head back and forth, to toss the shadow away, but Spooky remained firmly planted on its' face, giving Sora the opportunity to regain his grip on the beast.

Spooky suspected the creature to attack then when the small shadow saw the Jabberwocky stretch out its' sharp claws. Just as the Jabberwocky was about to swipe it's razor-sharp claws through Spooky, the shadow leapt out of the way, falling back down to the castle, just as the Jabberwocky's claws sliced directly through it's own eyes, blinding the beast. The creature let out another loud cry, this time, pained, as it swooped through the air, tossing Sora from its' back.

Sora landed back in the hedge maze with a hard thud, taking just a moment to recover before he rose to his feet. He looked up, watching the Jabberwocky endlessly swoop tbhrough the sky above, crashing into the castle, and nose-diving down towards trhe hedges without any clear direction of where to go now that it had lost its' vision. It was then that Sora noticed, on the soft underbelly of the Jabberwocky, right over its' stomach, there was a small indent, almost shaped like an 'X' right over its' stomach.

'I wonder...,' Sora thought, looking down at his blade and running through the hedges towards where the creature had prowled.

"Hey!" Sora called out to the beast, his eyes widened in anticipation when the blind creature turned to him and let out a ferocious roar, stampeding towards him, trampling through the hedge maze and towards the young man. Sora rose his Keyblade up, watching as the Jabberwocky's claws stretched out towards him, ready to strike.

He shot his Keyblade forward, sending it through the air, and right through the mark on the Jabberwocky's stomach. The creature let out a cried pain, as it writhed and squirmed uncontrollably. It closed its' arms and wings in on itself before it imploded into an explosion of darkness, sending particles outward until they had dissolved. Sora's Keyblade clattered to the ground.

The Jabberwocky, the beast of Wonderland, had finally been defeated.

Sora grabbed his Keyblade and quickly made his way back towards the castle, where he met back up with Donald, Goofy, Spooky and Alice.

"Gawrsh Sora, that was great," Goofy said.

"You did!" Donald jumped up and down.

Alice smiled, "That was impressive, Sora! Now then, shall we return to the mirror?"

Sora smiled, "Yeah, let's go." The group had made their back down into the undercroft beneath the castle and entered into the gloomy dungeon. They had walked up to the wall where the mirror had been placed.

"Wait a sec," Sora's eyes widened. "The mirror...it's...gone!"

"What!?" Donald and Goofy asked, but indeed, the dungeon wall in front of them, where the mirror stood moments ago, was now empty.

Sora walked up to the wall, "It doesn't make any sense! The mirror...it was just here."

"Well, well, well,..."The Queen of Hearts said, stepping from out of the shadows behind them, her card army behind her. "If it isn't the three fools who aided Alice in stealing my heart all that time ago - now returned to do it all over again!"

Donald's eyes widened, "WAK! We never tried to do that, you big, buffoon!"

"SILENCE!" The queen shouted, causing the duck to jump up and hide behind Goofy, "You return to my kingdom, destroy my gardens, break into my castle and now, you're in cahoots with that girl again! Someone's head will roll for this! Off with their-"

"You don't understand!" Sora shouted at the Queen, "The Jabberwocky destroyed your gardens, not us! I defeated that thing!"

The Queen's face turned red, "Article #34 - Anyone who interrupts the Queen is guilty!"

Alice stomped her foot, "Who's silly rule is that!?"

"Silly rule!?" The Queen questioned, "All rules are MY rules!" She sneered out as she approached the four, "You won't be using that mirror today and you won't be saving Alice, either. For breaking into the castle and assisting the guilty girl again, you leave me no choice..." She lifted her hand up to her card soldiers.

"Oh, no...," Sora mumbled out.

"LET THE TRIAL BEGIN!" The Queen shouted, as her cards shot up and forwards to grab the 'guilty' party.

* * *

The two Keyblade Masters and Yen Sid sprinted up the stone steps of the First District, watching over head as the demon spirits born from the darkness floated towards the Second District, where Chernabog was floating about overhead, as if guarding the courtyard.

"They're headed for the clocktower," Riku called out.

They pushed open the doors to the Second District and entered in. Perched on top of the roof of the clock tower, Chernabog looked down and growled out when he saw the approaching heroes, flames spewing from his mouth.

They looked up at the clock, which was surrounded by the dark, ghastly cloaked demons. The entire area was flooded with them.

Aqua spoke, "The clock...time hasn't moved. It's still stuck at 6:54."

Chernabog let out another ferocious roar then, pulling the demons' attention towards him. He cast his arms down then and pointed towards the three.

Yen Sid scanned the area and pointed upwards to the bell tower landing beneath the clock. "Look." The sorcerer brought their attention to the landing and there, right next to the final clock gear, Ansem the Wise was forced up against the wall, an aura of darkness seemingly tying him down and preventing him from moving.

"Ansem the Wise," Riku called out. "He's been taken by them. We have to get him and get that clock to start working again!"

Yen Sid bowed, "Aqua, Riku, you see to Ansem and making sure that clock starts moving again. I will see to that dark demon!"

Aqua and Riku bowed and took off down the path that led adjacent of the hotel towards the gizmo shop.

Yen Sid cast his hand out and summoned his Keyblade. He leapt down into the courtyard below and turned his attention up to Chernabog. The demon leapt from the building then and landed hard down in the courtyard of Traverse Town. Yen Sid charged towards the dark demon and leapt up, striking the demon across the chest, keeping the monster at bay while Aqua and Riku accomplished what they had to. The wound Chernabog had received was instantly healed by the darkness. Chernabog flapped its' wings and pushed the sorcerer back a few feet by the mighty blast.

"Yen Sid!" Riku called out from the door of the Gizmo Shop.

Yen Sid shook his head and stared at Riku, certain. "You must go! The clock must start moving again!"

Chernabog turned his back then, staring down Riku and Aqua. He let out a fierce roar and casted his hands down, directing the demon spirits towards the two.

Riku and Aqua summoned their Keyblades to their grasps.

"Go." Aqua said, "I'll handle them."

Riku nodded and charged inside the Gizmo Shop.

The demons floated towards Aqua, their ghostly hands outstretched towards her. She leapt up through the air, slashing through each of the ghostly forms. As she slashed through, her blade seemed to just move right through them, not really doing any damage. She cartwheeled out of the way as one of the dark souls pursued her. 'These being can't be defeated. They're tied to the darkness.'

She looked around at the barrier of darkness which surrounded the town. With every passing second, more and more dark spirits appeared from within. She glanced over to the right, looking at the battle between Yen Sid and Chernabog resume.

Evading and sliding underneath the dark souls, she glanced up at the clock tower. 'Riku, you have to hurry!'

Yen Sid flawlessly floated up towards Chernabog's face, where he raised his Keyblade into the air. Like before, beams of pure light shot from the heavens above and cut through the dark demon. The holes pierced through Chernabog's body were instantly healed by the darkness. Chernabog let out a ferocious roar and cast his arms outward, where a huge inferno formed around him, the blaze stretching high into the sky.

Yen Sid cast a barrier spell right at the exact time Chernabog unleashed his attack, evading and deflecting the attack. He lunged up and struck Chernabog again, but found his body locked within the tight grip of Chernabog's fist, the dark demon slowly squeezing the life out of him.

Riku sprinted through the Gizmo Shop, slashing through the creatures that appeared and quickly making his wasy out of the room through the door on the opposite side. Once outside, he climbed up the sturdy ladder that went all the way up to the landing beneath the clock tower, where Ansem and the clock gears were.

At that same moment, Yen Sid felt the life leaving him as Chernabog tightened his grip around the sorcerer nemesis, an evil smile appearing across the demon's twisted face. Aqua was surrounded by ghostly spirits that were swarming around her. She did her best to try and fight them off, but knowing that there was nothing she could do to defeat them, the best she could do was evade.

Riku reached the landing and charged towards the clock gear and without a moment to spare, struck it with his Keyblade. The gears began moving together and dissolved into another shimmering orb. He watched as the orb shot up through the sky and sparkled as it entered into the clock face.

The minute arm on the clock face started moving rapidly forward then, circling the clock entirely numerous time, causing the hour arm to start moving with it. The hour arm spun around the clock once entirely before returning to the positions that it had been frozen in for years.

It was still 6:54.

Aqua looked up at the clock from the courtyard.

6:54 A.M.

The clock ticked forward.

6:55 A.M.

The bell tower connected to the clock above it, began ringing then. Chernabog loosened his grip around Yen Sid, who landed on his feet and stared up at the creature. The dark demon looked around the courtyard confused, as all his demon spirits seemed frozen in the air.

Chernabog looked up into the air, hearing the bells from the tower continue ringing. The darkness surrounding the town slowly began to melt away and vanish.

A small pillar of light appeared from the sky above then and illuminated down onto Chernabog. The dark creature masked his eyes and squinted at the bright light, trying to hide his vision from the brightness. Another pillar of light appeared then causing the winged-demond to lurch back in response to the brightness. It was too much for the being to handle.

With the clock set right at 6:55 A.M., the sky then opened up as the evening night vanished and streams of first morning's light broke through the darkness. The light grew brighter as the darkness faded and the light emerged.

Chernabog masked his face as the light weakened him, rendering him unable to do anything. The dark demon spirits around the district vanished as soon as the light began to emerge, fading away into nothing.

Chernabog slowly dragged its' hands across its' face as it slowly slumped to its' knees as the light became brighter. With the sun shining directly down on its' form, all Chernabog could do was fade away, as the light illuminated through him, particles of darkness breaking away at him. He slowly wrapped his huge wings around his form, sealing itself away from the outside world, before the entire demon dissolved into darkness and faded away from Traverse Town, surrendering to the light that shined down from the sky, radiantly.

The darkness that had kept Ansem imprisoned faded away and released the man, as Riku went to his aid.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Ansem said, nodding. "Those spirits came and took me, but the darkness had not furtther tainted my heart."

"Good," said RIku, before the two of them made their way down into the center of the Second District, meeting back up with Yen Sid and Aqua.

"We did it," Aqua said, looking up into the sky, happy to see that the evening sky of Traverse Town has now faded away into a beautiful sunrise that glowed over the town.

Time was _moving_ again.

Yen Sid closed his eyes and bowed, "Yes, Chernabog has been banished. Although it will be reborn back in the realm of darkness, at least this town is safe from the creature's fury now."

Riku nodded, "And time is moving normally again here. That takes care of two problems. Now what?"

Yen Sid turned from the group then, "With Mickey still missing, lost in the realm of darkness, we'll have to find a way to communicate with the king, if possible." He turned back to then, "Also, now that Aqua has returned to the realm of light, it should certainly aid in our quest to retrieve Terra and Ventus from their doomed fates."

Aqua nodded, "Yes."

Yen Sid turned around and began walking, "We should return to the tower and try to contact Sora. We'll think of which next steps to take while there."

The four left Traverse Town as it stood in the morning rays of the sun, daybreak washing over the town for the first time in quite awhile.

* * *

"Ugh, darling, when you said there was a secret tunnel under the kingdom, I thought it would have at least been kept up to royal standards, but this...this is repulsively atrocious," Cruella said, her heels sloshing through the murky water that ran from the sewer system under the town.

Gaston grunted out, leading the group of villains down the dark tunnel, "We're breaking and entering. What did you expect? A guided tour and a warm welcome with some wine?"

"Ugh please, darling. I'm not a 'glass of wine and a good book' kind of girl." She pulled out a flask of gin from her cleavage and took the shot back. "Now keep your eyes forward. Make sure I don't step on anything dead while you're at it."

The long underground passages were lined with pipes and infrastructure for the town and kingdom above. There was an odd sort of musty smell that traveled through the underground passages. From the state the tunnels had fallen into, it seemed unlikely anyone commonly traveled through and the five villains would not have been surprised if they were the first travelers the utilidoors had seen in years. It all seemed very ransacked, abandoned and forgotten down there.

"The seedy underbelly down here that the brats up there in that colorful world don't want you to know about," Hook mused.

Pete nodded, "Yeah, welp! If we continue down this tunnel just a little bit longer, it should take us to a ladder that should take us through the pipes and vents up into the castle!"

"Pipes and vents, darling?" Cruella asked, "Ugh, sounds like a dirty task."

Pete let out a loud laugh that echoed down the hall, "Ahaha, yup! But don't worry, it ain't gonna be a tight squeeze! If I can get through, any of you folk can, too!"

"I'm not worried about the squeeze," Cruella said. "If I had known I'd be knee-high in mice manure, I would've left the coat at home." She slipped the coat off her shoulders, readying herself for the messy business ahead. Not like she wasn't used to messy business.

Hades scoffed, reaching out for the coat, "Here. Give it here."

"You," Cruella scoffed. "Please, I'd be scrubbing the smell of brimstone and death out of the fur for weeks."

"Ella, here." Hook motioned out with his hand for her to hand him the coat.

She flashed him a smile, and walked towards him. She soon found herself falling head over heels, as her tall-heeled shoes sloshed through the mud and dirt on the tunnel floor, causing her to trip - but thankfully, for her, Hook was there to catch her from falling as he gripped her waist. She tightly held onto the hook attached to his arm.

There was a small moment where Cruella looked up at James and felt her own, make-up-covered face soften, as she looked into her eyes. She felt all too incredibly cliche as she looked into her eyes and saw a small smile on his lips.

Gaston, Hades and Pete awkwardly stared at them and waited for the moment to end, staring at the two holding each other.

Hook brought Cruella to her feet and made sure she was secure, gently taking the fur coat from her and holding it in his one free hand.

"Can we get on with it already?" Gaston sneered out and continued ahead.

Cruella slowly traced her fingers over James' hook, slowly letting it go, almost as if she didn't want to. She all felt incredibly silly for it all and would have possibly felt far more herself if she had finished whatever gin remained in her flask.

She didn't even realize that she had been staring up into his eyes the entire time.

"So, uh, we finished here?" Hades asked, waiting with Pete.

Cruella's eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, y-yes. Of course, darling!" She turned to Hook, trying to regain her usual composure. "Well, James. You certainly know...how to treat a woman. I'll have to find a way to repay the favor."

"No payment necessary," Hook said, walking alongside Cruella after the other villains.

"Really, James. A skilled pirate like you is probably used to getting anything he wants," Cruella said, making sure the thin strap of her dress fell down her shoulder for Hook to see. "Is there...really...nothing you desire? You can have anything - anything at all. Oops, look at that. My dress just decides to take itself off on its' own around you."

Hook blushed and gulped, gently taking the strap of the dress and pushed it back up her shoulder. "I - well,..you said we would have to go out for a drink some time. Perhaps that would be fair compensation."

She tilted her head, somewhat surprised, but smiled, "Oh, finally taking me up on my offer, are we? Very well then. You pick the tavern, I'll pick the time. And we'll drink until the sun comes up. And then we'll drink some more."

Hook nodded and smiled, "Sounds like a good time."

Cruella scoffed and sauntered past him, "Oh, darling. When you finally have a night with me - and believe me, you _will_ have a night with me - you're going to realize just how much of a good time I can deliver."

She walked up ahead, leaving Hook in a slight daze, before Pete called out to all of them. "Hey, hey, looky look. Up there." He pointed upwards to the ceiling, where a tall ladder disappeared into the darkness above.

"This is the way to get up into that there castle," Pete said, beginning to make the climb.

"Well, let's just get on with it, then," Gaston said.

As the villains, made their way up the ladder to the world above, Hades had one lingering question on his mind.

"I wonder what Maleficent is up to?"

* * *

The rain fell from the sky, rippling in the puddles that had formed on the dark evening streets of the lost city.

Maleficent made her way, walking through the quiet, dark streets of the World That Never Was. Her long robes trailed along the damp ground behind her, as she stared upwards towards the castle that Xehanort had claimed as his new home. Being in this world of emptiness and nothingness, she truly felt how hollow her heart had become.

She had to be wise with her time. If her villainous cohorts were successful, it would have only been a matter of time before they returned to find her missing and that would only begin their questioning of where she had ventured off to. She knew that time was of the essence.

"Where are you..." she whispered out into the dark night.

"No one's hiding." A voice called out to her from the dark shadows of the alley.

Maleficent turned quickly towards the shadowed allet, her eyes wide with initial surprise, feeling her heart beat faster. She took a moment to breathe out as she calmed herself.

Young Xehanort stepped out from the shadows and approached the woman, a wry smile on his face. Maleficent recognized the white hair, the dark skin, the golden eye - he was another vessel of Xehanort. The young Xehanort - the one she had hears whispers about, the one who had traveled through time and space to arrange an army for his older, original self - the Master Xehanort.

"Surprised to see me?" The young man asked. "If you should like to speak to Master Xehanort, he's up there. I'm sure he would be pleased to see you."

"No. I don't need to see him..." Maleficent shook her head and walked towards the young man, "I'm here to talk to you."

"Me?" The young Xehanort let out a low laugh and walked a few feet past the witch, "And what do I owe this? What could you possibly want from me?"

Maleficent lowered her head and closed her eyes, "I've heard whispers about you, rumors spread from the darkness. I know your powers - what you're capable of doing."

The young man smiled, "Yes, I'm quite skilled. And yet, I still don't understand why you wanted to see me." His lips thinned, a dark smirk on them.

"I think you know," the witch turned to him.

"Yes, but I want to hear you say it," the young Xehanort's eyes squinted at her, as if peering into her soul. "What is it your after?"

Maleficent stood there for a long moment, "Can..." She stopped when she heard the strain in her voice. It almost sounded desperate.

"Go on."

She continued, not caring how desperate her pleas sounded, "Can you...give me a way to go back...back in time."

"Oh?" Xehanort turned to her in fake interest. "Fascinating. So, then...it's time travel your after."

"Y-yes." Maleficent nodded, "Is there anyway you can help me? Please..."

Xehanort pretended to pout, "Hmph. Aw, what's the matter? Life not working out for you? The darkness finally catching up with you, Maleficent?" He smirked and walked towards her, "The darkness has taken its' toll on your heart, Maleficent. Your heart is entirely devoid of compassion and under standing...and love."

Maleficent snapped, turning to the young man then, her eyes wide. Her voice dripped with an odd amalgamation of anger and sadness. "The thing I loved most was lost to me because of the darkness!"

The young man smirked and turned away from her, "Hmph, a messy business indeed. And now, you've let yourself only be pulled further into the darkness from your pain, have you not?"

Maleficent stuttered, "I...I...have."

The young Xehanort let out a dark chuckle then, "But what I find to be the most interesting is...what could the Mistress of All Evil possibly want with a time travel spell? What had hurt her so deeply in the past...that she'd risk the present if it meant changing it?"

"That's my business and mine alone," Maleficent said.

He smirked, "But, it isn't just your business, is it?"

Maleficent lowered her head and shut her eyes, "It matters not. Can you help me or not?"

The young man walked up to her, "Maleficent. First, you need to ask yourself, why would I help you? You know as well as I do, aiding you would go against Master Xehanort's machinations."

She shook her head, "So, the answer is no, then...You can't help me."

Xehanort let out a small chuckle at the woman's sad state, "Oh, Maleficent, there's far more to it than you understand. Time travel...is a forbidden act of magic. It's so technical, so precise, that even the most skilled sorcerers and magic-wielders alike, have been unable to even gain a simple understanding of it. You don't realize - it is possible to travel through time and space across the many plains of time itself, but it is impossible to change the events that have already happened."

Maleficent sighed and frowned, "So, the past...is..."

"Yes. The past is set in stone. There is no changing it. Every event that has happened will always happen, no matter how far back in time one travels." The young Xehanort's face lowered, "I cannot give you what you want. No one can."

Her lips trembled and her frown grew sadder, "I see. Then, there is no saving h-...They'll be forever lost to the darkness..." She was overcome by emotion.

The young man nodded and smiled at the grief-stricken woman. "There, there, Maleficent. Surely, you knew this meeting would not present you with what you wished for."

She sighed and nodded.

Xehanort's smile fell then, "Isn't it strange...how easy it is to give up something you once loved...if it means pursuing something far greater."

Maleficent closed her eyes, feeling the tears fall from her eyes then, a sting that had hurt her for the first time in years.

The young man walked away from her then, leaving Maleficent alone in the darkness, once again.

* * *

When the beings of Wonderland had heard of the defeat of the fearsome Jabberwocky, they rejoiced and celebrated over the heroes that had saved them and protected their world.

But elsewhere in Wonderland, those same heroes were now on trial for a crime that they did not understand, nor one they committed. The Queen's card soldiers gathered in the courtyard around the hedge maze, as the trial commenced. Sitting down in a large judge's throne before the defendant's stand, the Queen of Hearts pompously took her seat.

Standing behind the defendant's podium, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Alice all stood, clueless and confused expressions on their faces, wondering what they had done to deserve getting themselves into this predicament.

The White Rabbit quickly ran through the hedge maze and towards a podium next to the Queen. Once he arrived at the stand, he took out a trumpet and played an opening string of chords to commemorate the trial's opening.

"The court is now in session," the Queen of Hearts gracefully said, beginning the assembly. "Rabbit, begin."

"Y-yes, Your Majesty." The Rabbit pulled out a scroll, "The people at the stand are charged with trepassing and destroying the Queen's property, assisting convicted criminals in escaping unjustly and for conspiring to steal Her Majesty's heart. Further, the emotional trauma and physical strain caused by the defendants' unthoughtful actions are-"

"NEVER MIND ALL THAT!" The queen shouted, she turned gleeful then. "Get to the part where I lose my temper!"

The White Rabbit quickly scanned through to the bottom of the scroll, "...H-hereby, causing the Queen to lose her temper!"

The Queen let out a small chuckle and, with a hint of sweet sarcasm, leant over her podium to stare down at the four hooligans. "Now then, are you ready for your sentence?"

"Sentence?" Alice questioned, "But there must be a verdict first!"

The Queen slammed her fist down on the podium, "SENTENCE FIRST! Verdict afterwards."

Sora shouted, "But that's just craz-"

"SILENCE!" The Queen's face turned red, "Article #45 - Do not intterupt the Queen!"

Goofy turned to Donald, "Gawrsh, this really isn't good. What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know, Goofy." Donald whispered back, "But if we don't do something, the Queen, she'll..." The duck traced his finger in a line over his neck and gulped.

Spooky, sensing the trouble Sora and the others were about to find themselves in, snuck away from within Sora's hood and quickly trailed down the hedge maze path, without being detected. Using its' increased instinct from being Heartless, it quickly navigated through the maze and back into the forest.

Spooky knew that his friends were in trouble and they would need help, but if only there was something he could...

The Queen of Hearts chuckled to herself for a little bit, watching the fear and confusion in the defendants' faces. Her face turned blood-red then, "CALL THE WITNESSES TO THE STAND!"

The White Rabbit pronounced, "The March Hare!"

The card soldiers brought the March Hare in and put him at one of the stands.

"And what do you know about these four hooligans," the Queen asked.

"Nothing," the March Hare said.

"NOTHING WHATEVER!?" The Queen shouted,

"NOTHING WHATEVER!" The Hare replied.

"THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT!" The Queen yelled back.

"What?" Sora shrugged, "None of this is important!"

"SILENCE!" The Queen pounded her mallet against the wood desk. "Next witness..."

"The Mad Hatter," the White Rabbit called out, watching as the cards brought the Hatter into the courtyard.

Sora rolled his eyes and sighed, "Ugh, if these are our witnesses, they aren't going to help us one bit."

* * *

Spooky quickly made his way through the Tulgey Wood, making his way back to where they had come across the catepillar on the mushroom.

He quickly crawled over to the mushroom, analyzing it for just a moment and then...the shadow took a huge bite out of it.

* * *

"OFF WITH YOUR HAT, HATTER!" The Queen demanded.

The White Rabbit turned to the Mad Hatter then, "And where were you when these horrible events took place?"

"Oh, well, I was at home drinking tea, of course," the Mad Hatter said. "And we ran out of the sugar, you see. So, I was positvely-"

"WHAT DOES IT MATTER!?" The Queen shouted, slamming her fists down.

"It doesn't!" The Hatter yelled.

"EXACTLY! THAT'S THE EVIDENCE WE NEED," the Queen yelled and regained her composure, sitting back in her throne. She let out a small chuckle to herself, "Now then, hmm, we've gathered the necessary evidence needed to come to this trial's conclusion. Based on the actions that have transpired from Alice and her heathen friends, disciplinary punishment must be carried out."

Sora whispered, "Oh, no."

"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS," the Queen slammed her fist down on the podium.

"Oh, dear," Alice cried.

"No! No! That's not right! We didn't do anything wrong," Goofy said.

Sora nodded and agreed, "Yeah, that's crazy!"

The Queen's face turned red in rage, "YOU DARE INSULT ME!?"

Sora shrugged, "I mean, you are crazy and completely illogical. You make absolutely no sense!"

Donald pointed up to the queen, "AND you're temper is awful!"

The Queen seethed then, almost as if steam was piping out of her ears. She slammed both of her fists on her podium, standing up as her face turned red, a huge twisted smile on her face just imagining the defendants' demise. "CARDS! CARDS! SEIZE THEM AT ONCE!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy stood in front of Alice, taking out their weapons to prepare for the oncoming battle ahead of them. They watched as the card soldiers turned towards them, steadying their axe and staff weapons.

The cards charged towards the defendant stand upon the Queen's request.

A huge tremble shook Wonderland then, causing the cards to stop dead in their tracks.

Sora and the others looked up into the air, wondering what had caused the quake.

Another huge tremble shook the world, closer this time.

The White Rabbit fell backwards, "What was that?"

The cards trembled and shook, feeling the approaching force come closer. The cards slowly backed away, running to take cover in the hedge maze, leaving the Queen alone and unguarded.

The Queen turned red and called out to her guards, "COWARDS! You will regret saving yourselves before your queen! Heads will roll for this!" The Queen's face grew in terror as a huge tremor shook the world and she ducked down behind her tall podium.

Sora, Donald and Goofy turned back behind them and stared through the head maze, watching the GIANT creature approach them.

"IT'S SPOOKY!"

Spooky had grown to gargantuan sizes and came smashing his way through the hedge maze, stomping down and trampling over the garden walls, flattening and destroying them in his path. Spooky had grown bigger than the Jabberwocky, bigger than the Queen's castle, heck, from all the way down there, Spooky looked bigger than most enormous monsters and beings Sora and the others had faced - but now, they had the advantage on their side.

The shadow stomped his way through the hedge maze, each step causing a tremor to shake the castle grounds as he stepped closer to Sora and his friends. Spooky wrecked his way, destroying everything in his path without a care as he made his way to save his friends.

"CAREFUL! CAREFUL, YOU BEAST!" The Queen shouted towards the creature, "CARDS! CARDS! STOP THAT CREATURE!"

Some of the few more courageous and loyal cards rushed forward and did their best to try to waise their weapons to the the large shadow, but were simply either trampled on or tossed away into the air. Nothing was able to stop the now giant Heartless creature from prowing forward.

The Queen angrily pounded down on her podium, "YOU, BEAST! HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT MY COURT HEARING! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU PAY FOR TH-"

With a single, strong swat from Spooky's hand, the creature smacked down on the Queen and the podium, smushing the wooden post down and bringing the Queen down with it. The Queen collapsed down into a pile of wood, as stars formed in her vision and she heard birds tweeting around her brain. She gave an exasperated sigh before she fell backwards into the heap of wood, for all of Wonderland to see her heart-ridden undergarments.

To add insult to injury, after watching the Queen topple over herself, for nothing more than sheer amusement in being able to do things now that he couldn't do back at his normal size, Spooky took both of his hands and pushed against the Queen's castle, watching as the stone structure started cracking and breaking apart. He kept on pushing against the structure until the castle caved-in on itself and toppled over into a huge pile of debris, smoke rising towards the sky.

Sora looked around the castle grounds, now looking much more like a Wonderland battlefield. The entire hedge maze had been either cut through, trampled over or flattened, the castle was reduced to a pile of stone and rock and the entire castle courtyard had been wrecked entirely. The Queen of Hearts had fallen.

Sora turned to look up at Spooky, "Nice going, Spooky!"

"You saved us from that silly trial," Goofy cheered.

Donald crossed his arms, a small smile on his beal, "Okay...you're not so bad, I suppose."

Alice clasped her hands, "Oh, let's escape now when we can."

Spooky wiggled its' one working antenna and scooped the four of them up into his hand. He quickly prowled back through the forest.

Sora looked over his shoulder, watching the destroyed castle grounds behind him, "We have to find where the Queen hid that mirror!"

Spooky nodded and stomped along the hedges to the far side of the castle grounds. Up ahead, there was a small passage that lead under a heart-shaped alcove and into a dark hole through one of the shrubs, leading away from the castle.

Goofy looked up at Spooky, "Gawrsh Sora, I think Spooky knows just where he is going."

"I guess Spooky has a good instint about these kinds of things," Sora nodded and smiled.

Spooky nodded and charged towards the exit. As Spooky stepped, however, the four friends noticed that the creature had begun growing smaller again and started to return to its' original size. They could only assume that the affects of the magic mushroom had started to wear off on Spooky, so when the creature could no longer support the four of them in his shrinking palm, they leapt down onto the ground and continued running towards the hedge maze exit. Now back at his normal size again, Spooky leapt up onto Sora's shoulder and took his usual place in Sora's hood.

They had made it through the dark tunnel that lead through the hedges and when they made it out onto the other side, they found themselves in a bizarre room filled with furniture. There was a table and a chair in the center of the room with two bottles on it next to a flickering fire place. Paintings hung on the walls along with other odd objects, along with a shelf of books, a rabbit-shaped ticking clock and a big planted pot.

Most noticeably though, was the small door with the personable doorknob that Sora, Donald and Goofy had remembered from their first visit to Wonderland.

The doorknob lifted its' eyes up to them, "Oh, the WHite Rabbit's told me all of the ruckus that's been caused in Wonderland. I just didn't imagine it was the three fo you behind it all!"

Sora knelt down to the doorknob, "We didn't cause any ruckus at all! All we did was try to protect Wonderland."

"Yeah, from that Queen!" Donald added, "But you won't have to worry about her anymore."

Spooky leapt off of Sora's back then and moved over to the doorknob, pressing his hands up against the wooden frame.

"Stop. Stop that," the doorknob said, trying to move his nose handle away from Spooky then.

Sora looked down at Spooky and then back up at the doorknob. "Hmm? What's the matter, Spooky?"

Spooky pointed towards the doorknob again.

Sora looked at the doorknob and, inside its' keyhole mouth, Sora saw his reflection staring back at him. "What...is...?"

"What's the matter," Donald asked, pushing Sora out of the way and staring into the doorknob's mouth then. Donald's reflection then appeared within.

"Gawrsh..." Goofy said.

A realization than clicked in Sora's head then. The Keyblade wielder quickly made his way over to the doorknob and tightly gripped onto its' handle nose.

"Careful. Careful!" The doorknob pleaded.

Sora swung open the door then and the four and Spooky stared down inside. Inside the opened door, a short distance within, they found the other mirror, shrunken down and hidden away inside.

"I knew it," Sora said with a smile. "The other mirror..."

The doorknob spoke to them, "Oh, yes. That thing, I have no idea why the Queen of Hearts put it in there. Before I knew it, she barged on through and hid that mirror inside."

He stood up and went to the table then, "Everyone, quickly! Drink some of this." He picked up a blue bottle, which had a painted shrinking tree on it. He drank some and then passed it on to Donald and one by one, each of them and Spooky took a sip from the bottle, soon finding themselves shrinking back down to a much smaller size.

"Back to being small again, huh," Donald said.

Sora quickly led the others to the door. "Come on, let's go!"

The four entered into the small doorway and on the other side, found themselves running through an abyss. Surrounding them, circling pink clouds wrapped around them like a moving tunnel, directing them towards the mirror which floated ahead.

As they ran towards the mirror at the far end of the dream-like abyss, Sora summoned his Keyblade to his grasp and from within a beam of light, appeared and shot directly into the mirror ahead. The glass in the mirror rippled like water then, as the portal opened and glowed within the mirror, radiantly.

"Let's make it through!" Sora said, running off towards the door.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU SCOUNDRELS!"

They looked back to see the Queen of Hearts chasing after them, having shrunk down to their size, too.

"Ugh, enough already," Sora rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Oh, dear. We must escape!" Alice said.

"Come on, let's go! Run!" Sora called out to his friends, as they raced through the circling pink clouds towards the mirror, the Queen close on their trail.

They had made it to the mirror and one by one, each of them stepped through the looking glass, walking through the rippling portal and emerging on the other side back in the Secret Sanctum in Radiant Garden. Just as the three of them passed through, Alice walked through the looking glass, one leg in Radiant Garden, the other still in Wonderland, as the Queen of Hearts caught up with her and tightly gripped onto her leg.

"Oh, no!" Alice cried, starting to be dragged back into the mirror.

Sora, Donald and Goofy went to Alice's aid, pulling on the young girl, trying to pry her from the portal back to Wonderland. They pulled her from the mirror, but the Queen was relentless at getting the girl, still tightly holding onto her leg. The Queen's head and arms then emerged from within the portal into Radiant Garden, her face red like never before as she struggled to keep her grip on the girl's leg.

"Let go," Sora yelled out.

The Queen let out a loud laugh, "I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD YET, GIRL! BELIEVE THAT!"

"Go back to Wonderland, you big palooka," Donald yelled, as he and Goofy ran to the Queen's hands wrapped around Alice's leg, trying to pry her free. Sora continue to tightly hold onto Alice's arms, keeping her from being pulled back through the portal.

"STOP IT, YOU SCOUNDRELS!" The Queen yelled, enraged.

Donald sighed, prying the Queen's fingers from Alice's leg, along with Goofy. "Aw, shut it."

Donald and Goofy removed the Queen's hold over Alice. Goofy waved the Queen off with a naive smile, "Gawrsh, bye bye, Your Majesty!"

The Queen was sucked back into the portal, just as Sora leapt towards the mirror, Keyblade in hand, and struck the magical object, closing the portal and sending hundreds of shards of glass to the floor, severing the portal from there to Wonderland and ending the mirror's magical properties.

Sora looked down at the shattered glass along the floor of the secret chamber, "That queen won't be using that mirror to get in here. Is everyone okay?"

Alice dusted herself off, "Oh, dear. That was quite dangerous, but so very exciting."

"My word, I didn't expect you boys to take so long," Merlin said, entering into the hidden chamber. "Everything go well in there? By the looks of that broken mirror, I'd say things were absolutely...mad." He finished with a small chuckle.

"That's an understatement," Sora said, scratching the back of his head. "But, everything's fine. We got Alice here safely and that's what counts."

"Indeed," Merlin smiled and nodded, walking to the the young girl. "Welcome, Alice. I am Merlin, the wizard. I've created these quarters for you and the other princesses to live safely without fear of Xehanort's spying eyes. I'm certain our friends have told you all about Xehanort's intentions."

"Yes, and I'll do whatever I can to help," Alice nodded. "Thank you, all of you, for keeping a watchful eye on me. I do so much appreciate it."

Merlin nodded and magicked and pan and broom to start sweeping up the glass shards along the floor, "Of course, my dear. I've arranged the princesses' and your living arrangement to be quiet comfortable. I'll be up with tea and biscuits shortly."

Alice turned to her friend, "Thank you so much, Sora. For everything."

"Of course." Sora nodded and smiled. "It's what friends are for."

Merlin let out a little chuckle, "I hope you boys didn't do anything too reckless in there."

Sora, Donald and Goofy looked at each other, "Naaaaaaaah..."

* * *

Only a short while later, night had fallen over Radiant Garden and the town had grown quiet under the peaceful, star-lit evening.

Kairi sat in the lantern-lit library, scanning through the many books that were kept in a large pile on the desk. In front of her was the picture she had found in her old bedroom, the picture of her separated family. Next to the picture was a teddy bear, her baby blanket and a storybook that her grandma used to read to her - all things from her forgotten past. She looked up when she heard the door open and Sora walked in.

A small, forced smile appeared on her face as she placed her hands over the photo, "Hey. I thought you'd be back soon."

He walked up to her, "We ran into a bit of trouble. But Alice is here safe and sound."

"That's good," Kairi said quietly.

Sora tilted his head, noticing his friend's quietness, "Are you...okay?"

Kairi sat back and sighed, "I don't know. I guess you haven't seen Lea yet then."

Sora took a seat on the desk, "No. Why?"

"Today, while you were in Wonderland, Lea and I met a boy, a masked boy - named Vanitas."

"Vanitas?' Sora questioned.

Kairi nodded, "Yes, he was - just another vessel of Xehanort's. Neither one of us had ever seen him before and we...don't really know who or what he is."

He placed his hand on her shoulder, "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, no. That's not what's bothering me," Kairi said, lowering her head as she pouted. "What he told me was...that Xehanort was going to use you as a pawn. That he didn't need to destroy you because...you would do it to yourself."

Sora remained quiet, taking in the words of his enemies' intentions. He whispered, "But...that's silly. That wouldn't happen. I...wouldn't do that."

"I know," she sighed. "It just bothered me. He seemed so certain."

"Hey." He gently rubbed her shoulder lightly, "It'll be okay. I know that as long as I have my friends, as...long as I have you, I'll be okay."

She smiled slightly, "I hope you're right."

"I am." He smiled confidently. His smile slightly faltered then, "You seem sad."

Kairi shook her head, "I don't know."

Sora looked down at all of the items scattered across the desk, "What's all this?"

"What's left of the childhood I've forgotten," she looked up at him, her eyes slightly watery.

Sora looked down at all the things she had taken from her old bedroom, "Are you okay?"

"I think so," she sighed out.

He reached out for her baby blanket, smiling slightly, "You don't mind, do you?"

Kairi shook her head, "No. It's okay. I trust you."

Sora gently held her baby blanket in his hands, "I like finding out more about your past before the islands."

Kairi still seemed to frown.

He noticed the picture that Kairi had been covering. "What's that?"

"A picture of my family members, including,...the ones I didn't know I had." She turned it to Sora.

"Ansem the Wise," he examined.

Kairi nodded and gently placed the picture back down on the desk. She deeply sighed and stood up from the desk.

"Kairi...?"

"I don't understand it." Kairi admitted, "I don't understand how...everything turned out the way that it did. How I could have a family and a home and then it just..."

Sora remained silent as he listened to her speak.

She continued, "Time passes by...so quickly. And there's nothing anyone can do to slow it down. Your life can feel so whole and complete...and then everything you thought you once had, it could all be lost to you a moment later." She sighed, "A lost family, a lost home...a lost childhood. Time can just...take away so many things and by the time we've realized it, they're already gone..."

Sora nodded and spoke quietly, "That's true."

She wiped the tear from her face then, "I'm sorry. Just...finding this picture today made me realize a lot of feelings I hadn't faced." She sat next to him on the desk and sighed, "I don't want to live wanting the past, but...I just look at this picture and see a girl who had a family and a childhood home and I just think...where did it all go? How did that young girl go from being the one with a home and a family, to the one that...now has a broken family and is putting her life at risk to save the worlds."

"It's okay, Kairi," Sora said, taking his hand within her own. "Everything will be okay. I'm here for you."

She smiled slightly, wiping the tears from her face. She took Sora's arm and wrapped it around her, still holding onto his hand. "Thanks, Sora. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...get like this. It's not how I usually am."

He shook his head and leaned into her, "It's okay. I understand. I like...everything that makes you who you are. Even if it's a girl who lost her childhood, or a princess of heart, or...a girl who can't find her own pieces for a raft and has to make me do it for her."

Kairi let out a small laugh, Sora always capable of lifting her spirits. She turned to him and gently traced her fingers along his hand. She whispered, "I think...I've spent too much of today being too focused about what time has taken from me...but I don't want to live for the past."

Sora nodded and got up from the desk, as she scooted off with him, gently letting go of his hand.

Kairi nodded and followed after Sora towards the exit of the library, "I'm ready."

Sora spoke quietly, "You know, I think...time might take a lot of things from us as life goes on, but then, sometimes... we realize that we've gained a lot of new things along the way. Maybe the same thing'll happen to you," he said. "...maybe the same thing'll happen to you, Kairi..."

The two left the library then, leaving it in the quiet night.

The flickering flames of the lit-lanterns all extinguished together then, darkening the library in blackness.

From out of the darkness and behind the corner of one of the tall bookshelves, a figure in a tattered robe appeared - the Guardian of Darkness. It floated along the floor and approached the desk. It pushed aside the stack of books on the desk until it had found what it was searching for.

There, at the bottom of the stack of books found from all over the library...was one of the lost tomes of the Book of Prophecies.

The robed figure flipped open the book with a wave of its' hand and its' red eyes examined what was written within.

"The World will be enveloped in eternal Darkness."

The figure closed the book and left it on the desk. Without a word, the Guardian of Darkness vanished into the shadows where it had come.

* * *

Vanitas made his way down the hall to the throne room in the Castle That Never Was, having returned from Radiant Garden after his failed mission.

He approached Isa, who was peering up at the moon from the tall atrium window.

"You," Vanitas sneered out to the man.

Isa turned to the man, "You know, it isn't a wise decision to return to the Master after a failed mission. You might require some punishment."

"I don't care about any of that," the masked boy sneered. "You might have the Master fooled...but you can't fool me."

Isa turned from the boy then, "I don't know what you mean."

"I think you do." Vanitas pushed Isa's shoulder back, demanding his attention. "You stopped me from taking the princess' heart. You caused me to fail my mission. Why?"

"Hmph," Isa moved past him, "You weren't going to take her heart. You wanted to kill her. To the darkness - your darkness - there might not be a difference, but killing her is not what the Master wanted. I simply ensured that nothing rash was done to affect Xehanort's plans."

Vanitas shook his head, unconvinced. "Hmph, are you certain there wasn't anything else you were trying to protect?"

"No, there wasn't." Isa replied firmly.

"Very well, but should you intercept me again, it'll be you that pays the price," Vanitas said, walking away from the man and continuing down to the circular throne room.

Isa rolled his eyes at the threat and walked down the hall towards his chambers, an accomplished smirk on his face.

Vanitas arrived at the main room and looked up at Xehanort who sat perched on his throne.

"I didn't retrieve the princess' heart as you requested," Vanitas admitted.

"I already know," Xehanort peered down at his vessel, "But it's alright. Isa was correct for stopping you. You would have killed the princess when I needed her - her heart at least."

Vanitas bowed his head, "I'm sorry, Master, for my failure."

"No apologies necessary, Vanitas." Xehanort floated down from his throne and stood in front of the man. "We've been in this together for a long time. I have your trust and with your heart, I have your will."

The masked boy nodded, "That you do."

"I just have one request for you," Xehanort said. "Keep a close eye on Isa. I believe there's more to him that I initially thought."

"With pleasure," Vanitas sneered out.

Xehanort walked past the masked boy then and moved to exit.

"Where are you off to," Vanitas asked.

Xehanort smirked, "I have a little trip planned...to the realm of darkness."

"The dark world? What could you possibly be going there for. The world is lost to the darkness," the masked boy questioned.

Xehanort turned back to the boy, "That meddlesome king, Mickey, isn't it? He's fallen into the depths of darkness."

Vanitas tilted his head, "And you're going to retrieve him?"

"Yes." Xehanort continued, "I have my own plans for the king in mind..."

Vanitas crossed his arms, curious, "And what could you possibly want with the king? To darken his heart?"

Xehanort let out a low, dark chuckle. "Oh, dear boy. It's not his heart that I'm after..."

Vanitas looked at Xehanort in question.

" _...I'm going to corrupt his brain."_


	8. The King Is Dead

Hello everyone! Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed! I'm sorry this chapter took a little longer, I was kept rather busy and had a nasty cold. I hope everyone's well! Please review and enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Eight - The King Is Dead**

"There the hell ya go, you buncha nitwits," Cid said, slamming the last panel shut on the Gummi-Ship.

By sunrise of the following morning, the tech savvy pilot had managed to completely repair Sora's mangled ship after a few days of strenuous labor.

The group along with the Restoration Committee gathered outside of the ship in the marketplace plaza and marveled at the repaired ship. Sora, Donald and Goofy slowly approached the ship, as if to inspect it to try to find any flaws. The ship more or less looked the same as it was before with a few modifications found here and there throughout.

Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded at each other in approval of their newly-repaired ship.

Cid made his way around the side of the ship and placed his hands on his hips as he surveyed his handiwork. "Looks pretty damn good, I reckon. I threw in a warp gummi for the hell of it, so you'll be able to return to worlds you've been to before in a snap. But don't be makin' a habit outta crashin' this god-fersaken thing. Next time, I'll charge ya."

"Thanks Cid. We'll try not to," Sora nodded.

"Please do," Yuffie rolled her eyes with a smile and turned to look at the marketplace, "We'll never be able to restore the town if we keep on having you guys fall from the sky right into the busiest part of Radiant Garden!"

Leon nodded, "Yuffie's right for a change."

The ninja turned back and threw her arms down, "Hey! What's tha-"

"With the rate we're working, it won't take too long before the rest of the town is restored. We're entering our final reconstruction phases now," Leon said. "Just a little bit longer and this town should be just what it was like over a decade ago."

Aerith nodded and smiled, "And with Noctis and the others helping out around the town and taking care of the Heartless, there are less of them in Radiant Garden now and people aren't afraid to walk around town nowadays. I think things are definitely looking up."

"Yepp, reminds me of the time you all were just youngins 'round here," Cid said, placing a cigarette in his mouth and turning to Leon, Aerith and Yuffie. "Ah, the good, ol' days."

Yuffie sighed and crossed her arms, "If only Maleficent and her Heartless had decided not to destroy this place, we'd never have to even have a 'Restoration Committee' in the first place!"

"Well, no use complaining about it now after all the work we've done," Leon said. "But if we can get our world back to how it was before, all our hard work would be worth it."

There was a small rumble that was heard off in the distance of the town then. The group went to the edge of the marketplace plaza and looked over the stone wall.

"What's that now," Yuffie asked.

"Oh geez," Donald sighed, "Some more bad guys?"

"A Heartless," Kairi questioned, scanning through the vast town before them.

Lea sighed and rolled his eyes, "Great, just when I thought we were gonna be able to get out of here without a problem..."

Aerith thought out, "Even without the Heartless, the town doesn't see many quiet days."

Goofy tilted his head and placed a finger on his chin, "Gawrsh, but I don't see any Heartless."

Sora turned to the steps that led down into the town, "We should go check it out just to make sure that everything is alright."

The five friends made their way down the stone steps that led into the entrance of the town plaza. They followed the sound of the loud clanging as it directed them through the twisting town streets. The rumbles directed them back to Merlin's house.

"It's coming from Merlin's!" Donald said.

"We should check to make sure he's okay," Kairi said.

Sora nodded and went to the the heavy wooden door. He knocked lightly on it, only to be met with a loud shake. He pushed open the door and found that there were no Heartless in sight, but rather, that the old wizard was at the center of his chamber, using his magic wand to enchant and shrink down all of his chamber objects and items, as they shrunk so incredibly small to fit into the wizard's small traveling bag.

It was quite a fascinating sight to see, watching as huge bookshelves, an entire fireplace, a bed, chairs and tables and quite literally everything else in the chamber, shrunk down in size and floated into the bag, leaving the chamber room as a big vacant space.

Sora tilted his head in confusion, "Um, Merlin? What are you doing?"

The wizard turned around with a surprised expression on his face, startled by the unexpected visitors. "Oh, my word! It's just you, lads and lass! I'm sorry, I was so concentrated on packing my things I didn't even notice you come in," the old wizard said, straightening the glasses on his face with a wry smile.

Donald took a few steps into the room, "Packing your things? I'll say! Your entire house is packed up!"

"Going on a trip," Lea asked.

The old wizard bent down and picked up his bag, as if it was as light as air even with all the contents of his house packed inside. "Why, yes, actually. A very important trip, one that came unexpectedly!"

"Where are you goin' off to, Merlin," Goofy asked.

Merlin walked towards the door, "Back to my home world - as of just this morning, I sense a powerful darkness building somewhere close near the world. I had cast a spell long ago to help keep the darkness from entering the kingdom, but I fear something from within the world itself has brought the darkness out."

Kairi tilted her head, confused, "Wait, home world? I thought Radiant Garden was your home?"

"Not originally, my dear!" Merlin said, placing his bag down and reaching inside, pushing his way through the various belongings to find what he was searching for. "I'm a traveler, after all. I've been to many worlds in my time, exploring different realms and kingdoms and training many others in the power of sorcery and logic, too."

Sora crossed his arms and pouted, "Hmm, and the darkness is going to your world?"

"I fear it has already arrived," the wizard continued, looking up from his bag. "The kingdom is broken - in the middle of much discord and on the verge of war ever since the last king passed. The people of the kingdom have no hope and with the darkness on the way, I can imagine there are dark times ahead. Very, very dark times..."

Lea turned to Sora then and whispered, "Say, how about we just cut to the chase and help Merlin out? I know you can't resist," he said, giving his friend a small smile.

Sora smiled and chuckled, "You're right. I can't. It's just how I am."

"Darn you Sora for being so darn noble," Lea said with a sarcastic smile on his face. "I'm looking forward to the day when we can just sit back and relax for like a minute before something else tries to kill us."

Kairi turned to him and crossed his arms, "Well, today's not that day...and it won't be until this Xehanort problem is taken care of."

Lea smiled and playfully shook his hands in front of him, "I kid, I kid! So, let's get this show on the road then, shall we? We got worlds to save and keyholes to find and Xehanorts to defeat."

"That's more like it," Kairi said with a small nod and turned to the wizard. "Merlin, we'd be happy to help you out if you'd like."

Sora continued, "Yeah, with us, we'll help you protect your kingdom. And who knows? Maybe we might even be able to find the Keyhole and push the darkness away."

Merlin looked up, "Oh, no, no. I couldn't ask that of you, friends. Not after all of your adventures you just had in Wonderland. I couldn't let you get wrapped up in all this."

Lea playfully pouted, "Well, to be fair, I didn't have any Wonderland adventures, so I feel kind of gypped off right now and am actually in the mood to do some questing. Second, don't worry, you're not getting me wrapped up in any of this. Sora's doing that for me."

"Yep!" Sora said, turning back to the wizard, "And we're going to help you!"

"Yep! Because it's what we're good at," Donald said.

Goofy nodded, " And it's what friends do!"

Merlin nodded and smiled wide, "Splendid! Oh, here it is!" The wizard reached down and pulled a map from his bag, handing it to Sora, as Kairi and Lea looked over his shoulder. "Here's a map of the kingdom."

Sora studied the map of what looked to be a medieval kingdom, one with dense forests, large lakes and a royal castle which stood at the center of it all. It looked like the pictures from the books that he, Riku and Kairi used to read as kids.

"Camelot? That's a real place?" Sora asked.

"You're really questioning it?" Lea asked, "You just got back from 'Wonderland' and I'm pretty sure you've been to a bunch of other places that you didn't think could be real."

"Uh-huh!" Donald said, "Like flying and fighting pirates in Neverland with Peter Pan!"

"And singin' and dancin' in Atlantica with Ariel!" Goofy finished.

Sora looked up from the map and to his friends, specifically Kairi, "Yeah, I know, but...I just remember reading about stories of Camelot with RIku and you on the islands. We even used to draw pictures on the secret place cave walls. Remember, Kairi?"

Kairi nodded, "Hm. It is interesting though. That an outside story and a 'real' world could co-exist all at once. Makes you wonder which came first."

Merlin threw his bag over his shoulder, "Oh, now, now, friends. This Camelot is unlike any of the ones you've heard about in any stories, I assure you. I fear the kingdom is in worse conditions than I expected and my magic wasn't enough to protect it. Oh, if anything were to happen to that poor Wart, I don't know what I-"

"Wart?" Sora asked, "Wart? Who's Wart?"

"Oh, he's a young boy from Camelot. His real name is Arthur - a bright, optimistic boy, much like yourself, Sora! I started training with him a short while ago before you and Riku started your Mark of Mastery examinations."

"Do you think he might be in danger," Kairi asked.

Merlin's face grew concerned, "Oh, I don't know. A young boy his age isn't skilled in combat like you're all used to, especially against foreign creatures such as the Heartless."

Sora crossed his arms and nodded, "Okay then, we should all go to Camelot then."

Kairi nodded, "And once we get there and find Arthur, we can seal the Keyhole and protect the world from falling to the darkness and the Heartless, right?"

"Sounds about right to me," Sora finished.

Merlin gathered the group around him, preparing them for their departure to this new kingdom. "There's just one last thing that's on our plate for our trip to Camelot..."

"What's that?"

Merlin smiled, "We're going to find ourselves a new king to lead Camelot!"

With a wave of his wand, Merlin whisked the five friends and himself away from his empty home in Radiant Garden and to the rolling countryside in the kingdom of his homeland.

* * *

From the rooftops of the town outside of Merlin's house, Ansem - the Seeker of Darkness and Xemnas, Master Xehanort's secondaries in command, watched down, waiting for the friends to exit the house. They silently waited, determined to follow through with Xehanort's plans to affect the Keyblade wielder's heart.

"Where are they?" Ansem questioned, looking down at the house. "They couldn't have gone far."

Xemnas descended down towards the ground of the town plaza, closely followed behind by Ansem. The leader of the Nobodies went to the house window and stared inside finding the empty room, not a person, or anything for that matter, in sight. "Empty."

Ansem let out a frustrated grunt and slammed the door open, charging inside the wizard's chamber. "They were just here. Where could they have gone?"

If anything, Ansem and Xemnas considered themselves to be two of the most, if not the most, loyal servants and vessels to Xehanort and were ruthlessly determined not to fail him. Although considering the man a superior, the two vessels considered themselves to be physical parts of Xehanort themselves and aligned their goals exactly with his.

Something caught Xemnas' eye on the ground then, as the cloaked man slowly knelt down and picked up the wrinkled paper that had recently fallen to the floor. He studied it for a brief moment, before a dark smile grew across his face.

Ansem turned to his other half, "What did you find?"

Xemnas turned the parchment around to show a map to Ansem, "Where our traveling companions are headed..."

The Seeker of Darkness took the map in his hands and looked over it, as the same dark smile on the Nobody leader's face appeared on his own.

"Camelot."

* * *

In the quiet castle courtyard outside of the Disney Castle, a golden-furred dog was resting, his eyes shut as he enjoyed the morning shade from beneath one of the courtyard's many topiaries.

The moment of silence was short-lived, as second later, Pluto's eyes shot open as the dog watched Huey, Dewey and Louie pull Scrooge McDuck along with them, leading and pushing their great uncle through the courtyard.

Huey jumped up, tugging on Scrooge's arm, "C'mon, Unca Scrooge! You gotta see what we found!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Louie said, pushing Scrooge from behind. "It looks very peculiar!"

Scrooge huffed up, "What's all the racket, lads? It's barely sunrise and I haven't had my spot o' tea yet. What's all the commotion about?"

"Just c'mon! C'mon!" Dewey said, leading Scrooge a short distance away from the courtyard to another part of the castle grounds. "We found it over there."

His interest piqued by the four wandering ducks, Pluto decided to return from his morning rest and follow the four as they made their way from the courtyard and towards the wall that surrounded the castle grounds. As he walked after them, he was unaware of the unseen pairs of eyes that were keeping a hidden watch over the courtyard.

Pluto trailed behind the ducks until they arrived at an interesting sight - a manhole cover lifted up from within the ground and carelessly pushed to the side, leaving scrape marks along the pavement floor.

"We found this hole opened up!" Huey said, pointing down into the darkness of the manhole, "Someone musta pushed it open from all the way down there," the young duck said, his voice echoing downward.

Dewey peaked down, "Maybe Queen Minnie had someone open it from up here and it's nothin' to worry about!"

"No, look," Louie said, pointing to the scrape marks the manhole cover made along the grounds, "Someone pushed it open from down there! No one's been down there in forever, ever since the Heartless started appearing around town! Who coulda come up here?"

Scrooge placed a hand under his bill and furrowed his brow, a concerned expression growing across his face, "Thank ye, for pointing it out ta me, lads. This is a matter we must tell Her Majesty about."

The ducks set off to make their way up the garden pathway towards the castle's grand hall, as Pluto followed closely behind them.

Cruella peeked out from behind a tall castle shrub and stared at the ducks and dog that walked away from the garden, unaware of the infiltrating villains. "Oh, what a lovely purse you would make, doggie. And those ducks would be wonderful hats, too."

Hook stepped out from behind the shrub with Cruella, "Those blasted fools don't suspect a thing."

"Let's find that data Maleficent requested before we're caught," Gaston said, pulling out a bow from behind his back and steadying his arrow, ready to attack and slaughter anyone who stood in their path.

Hades scoffed and join the others, "Now, now. Let's not be so hasty. Let's just chill out and enjoy this little task ahead. By the looks of things around this place, the castle is a bit too cheerful, amirite? I think a little darkness could never hurt."

Pete let out a boisterous laugh, "Well then, now it's easy! We breaky-break our way up into that castle, take down anyone who wants a fight and high-tail it outta here with that data for Maleficent!"

Hades turned to Pete, "Didn't you sat there was something protecting the castle from sorts like us?"

"Uh, well..."

"Yes, I recall, too," Cruella flipped open a pocket mirror and examined her face, before she started powerding it up with make-up after their sewer escapades, entirely uninterested in the conversation. "What did you call it? The corner-something...of prosperity or...something of the sort, right, darling?"

Pete shook his head, "No no no no! The Cornerstone of Light!"

"That's what I said, cat," Cruella scoffed and snapped her mirror shut, "So, what the bloody hell do we do if we can't get into the castle?"

Gaston looked up at the castle, "Yes, how indeed."

Hades rolled his eyes, "I suppose we don't NEED to flood this place with our dark powers..."

"...ugh, I suppose, darling, but wouldn't this place seem far more interesting with a touch of delicious darkness?" Cruella said.

Hook smirked, "Ah, I do enjoy the way you think."

Cruella smirked back, "Hmph, the way I think will be the very least of what you'll enjoy, love."

"Wait wait wait wait wait," Pete said, "What are you all so down for?! You all might not be able to get into that there castle, but I for sure can!" He let out another big laugh, "I done it loadsa times before - even when Maleficent brought her darkness into the castle and I snatched up that Cornerstone real quick! I can do it again, too!"

Hades turned to Pete, "You sure you can get the job done?"

"Pfft, this is easy!" Pete said, "I'll sneaky sneak my way into the castle again, snatch up that Cornerstone and then all of you will be free to enter and use the darkness however you want! That data is as good as ours!"

"Get on with it then," Gaston threatened.

Pete cowered back for a moment, but let out a small smile when he turned back to the castle, "Right! Leave it to me!"

Pete turned away and ran towards the castle, as the villains returned to their hiding spots and waited until he returned.

* * *

Xehanort walked down the long, dark grey hall of his acquired headquarters in the Castle That Never Was. He smiled, thinking of the task ahead of him - to set off into the realm of darkness and find the mouse king and corrupt his brain with darkness, turning him into puppet of sorts to use at his disposal.

It was for sheer amusement and toying with the 'heroes of light' if nothing else. Something to test their abilities, while also demoralizaing their morale.

Xehanort stopped in the hall when he saw his seconds in command approach him from down the hall. Xemnas walked along with Ansem, who held what looked like a parchment, a map, in his hands. They stopped just a few feet in front of their leader, "What are you still doing here, Master? I thought you were leaving for the Realm of Darkness?"

"I was, but I could use some assistance," Xehanort flashed them a dark smile. "I've spent many lonesome, days traveling on my own. I've always hated it."

"You want us to join you in finding the king," Xemnas asked.

"But of course," the leader sneered, "I know you both must despise that...loathesome king as much as I do. It would simply be rude of me to not let you share in the enjoyment of destroying that little rat's brain."

Ansem nodded, "That would be most appreciated, Master."

"While on reconnaissance through the worlds, we were clued in to where Sora and his friends were headed." The Nobody said, taking the map and opening it up to show Xehanort, "Camelot - the old wizard's home world. The wizard took Sora and his friends from Radiant Garden and brought them to his world."

"Hmm, most interesting," Xehanort said with a small smile, "Perhaps my plans to blacken the boy's heart can begin...And I know just who to send to begin this task."

Xehanort made his way down the hall, followed closely by Ansem and Xemnas. He walked through the castle until he arrived at a large atrium chamber with a tall glass window that looked down towards the abandoned, dark city below. The chamber was a routine place for the former Organization XIII members to gather, as it was the place where they would receive their daily missions.

However, just as he had suspected, he found the vessel he was searching for and slowly approached the young replica of Sora's best friend.

"I have a very important task for you, puppet," Xehanort said. "Are you familiar with the realm of Camelot?"

The replica of Riku stood up from his seat then, "I've never been, but I've heard of it before."

Xehanort gave out a smug smirk, "Of course you've never been. You haven't seen much outside of Castle Oblivion and this castle, have you?"

"Of course not. As you said, I'm a puppet," Riku Replica sneered out and turned to Xemnas, "I only exist because the scientist from your Organization created me from Sora's memories."

"Yes, Vexen was quite skilled at creating masterful experiments," Xemnas said.

Ansem smirked, "If only he'd managed to give you a heart, puppet."

The replica hated the word puppet or fake or fraud, anything that reminded him that he was, in fact, not his own self and just a copy - another part of someone else. It especially stung the emptiness in himself, knowing that there was a version of himself out there in the worlds that had his own heart and friends and a home - when the replica had nothing to call his own other than his darkness.

"Shut up," the replcia said lowly to the heartless man.

"Now, now, puppet. No need to wallow in anger over what you are," Xehanort said, placing a hand on the boys shoulder and pulling him closer, "When what really matters is 'who' you will become. You see, when the Keyblade War has begun and I have the X-Blade and Kingdom Hearts in my control, I will use their powers to create...a new world order...one where darkness is not equal to light, but prevails over it. A world where...you could finally be your own person."

Riku's eyes widened, "Can you do that?"

"I will...in time," Xehanort said, turning away from the boy, "But in order for you to get what you want, I need to get what I want first - which is where you come in."

"I'm listening," the replica said.

Xehanort smiled to himself and turned back to the replica, "You've met Sora before, have you not?"

"We've had a few run-ins at Castle Oblivion after I was created, both he and the real Riku" the replica explained. "But the younger version of yourself took me from the castle and brought me here before Sora and his friends reached the top of the castle. I suppose...a version of myself is still back at that castle."

"Indeed. As my younger vessel has explained, taking someone from the past and bringing them into the future leaves a shell of themselves in the past - in order to ensure that all past actions and consequences play out the way they were originally intended." Xehanort smiled, "Now, that's not what matters here. No...Sora and his friends have quested off to the kingdom of Camelot."

"And you want me to find them," the replica questioned.

The leader smirked, "More than just find them, I want you to...dig deep into Sora's past with his friendship with Riku. Although best friends, I can tell there was much jealousy from Sora about his friend's accomplishments - even most recently, Riku obtaining the title of Keyblade Master when Sora had not."

"And what do you hope to achieve by having me bring this up to Sora," the replica asked.

Xehanort smiled, "As I said, dig deep into their friendship...and begin to plant the seeds of doubt and darkness in Sora's heart. Doing so would only cause those feelings of jealousy and anger between the two to arise again, which would hopefully lead to the destruction of Sora and Riku's friendship...and what better way to cause the deterioration of these 'so-called' best friends than to remind Sora of everything that Riku had managed to accomplish...which Sora never could."

The replica nodded, "Understood."

"Don't be afraid to play around with the Keyblade wielder's heart," Xehanort suggested, "Let's see how strong it is before enough anger and hatred causes it to break...and when it does, I'll be there to fill it with the darkness."

The replica nodded and left the room, leaving the three men behind.

Xemnas turned back to Xehanort, "Could you really do what you said and give the replica a heart?"

Ansem continued, "When Kingdom Hearts is in your control, Master, you'll be able to create your own universe, certainly, Master, but...could you really give a being that was never supposed to exist with a heart an actual heart of their own."

"Hmph, that's the replica's sorrow to deal with, not my own," Xehanort said and turned from the two men, walking through the large chamber. "I don't care what fates lie beyond the creation of this new world order - only what happens to line the pieces up exactly as I've intended them to get me the X-Blade and Kingdom Hearts." The old-devilish man said, summoning his Keyblade to his grasps, staring deeply into the eye that was imbedded in the blade's handle.

"All that empty boy wanted was a heart...to be his own person," Xemnas said, trying to almost sound sincerely sympathetic for the replica, but not quite feeling it.

"That puppet will get his heart...if it is possible. The replica is much like Vanitas - beings that want to exist as their own people with their own hearts when they were never destined to. ," Xehanort said, approaching the glass windows and staring down at the dark world below - the dark world he had created a long time ago.

Some time long after Xehanort had become a Master and began trailing down the path of darkness, he had used the mixed powers of being a Keyblade Master and the darkness to his advantage. His Keyblade led him drifting through the lanes between worlds on a vast adventure in pursuit of knowledge and power over the darkness. With the Keyblade, it had opened and created a path to a new world - the very dark city in which his headquarters now stood. When the empty man created the world from the darkness, it became the sole world to exist without a heart or a Keyhole at its' core...thus becoming a haven for darkness and Nobodies alike.

It truly was a World That Never Was - it was never meant to exist and even as it did, the world never had a heart at its' core like all other worlds due to its' inception from the darkness.

"No hearts...an empty affliction, indeed," Xehanort muttered out, staring at the emptiness of the dark world and musing over the thoughts of the replica and Vanitas, who both very much wanted the same thing. "Should they find hearts in what awaits beyond the great Kingdom Hearts, I cannot say..."

Ansem nodded, "The closest that they could ever reach to having hearts of their own are the fragments of your heart inside of them, Master."

"Indeed," Xemnas nodded, "Those that exist without hearts...may never have one to call their own."

"That is no concern of ours, however." Xehanort turned to his two cohorts, "What matters is that we get what we all want - Kingdom Hearts...and we will."

Xehanort turned and opened a portal of darkness, streams of blackness pluming up to the tall ceiling. He approached the corridor of darkness, as Ansem and Xemnas stepped behind him.

"First, however, we have a mouse to trap."

* * *

 **Camelot**

The silent woods stretched for miles beyond the castle which stood at the heart of the kingdom of Camelot. Trailing through the woods, leading throughout the realm and encircling the castle in a wide moat, a river trailed through.

Though the waters of this river were black - filled to the brim with darkness. The darkness traveled down and seeped over the river's edge, slowly spreading its' way up the forest trees, leaving them dead and decayed, as if burnt by a roaring fire. It was like a slow spreading oil spill trickling its' way through the forest and tainting everything in its' path with the darkness.

Deep within the woods, a small mystical house stood, alone and untouched. It quite resembled the other homes Merlin had made for himself in Traverse Town and Radiant Garden, except this one was now entirely empty. Outside of the home, a cloud of magical smoke appeared and Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea and Merlin appeared from within.

"Wak!" Donald swatted the smoke away.

"Gawrsh, that was quick," Goofy said.

Merlin adjusted his glasses and put his wand away within his robes, "My magic never fails."

Lea then noticed the forest that surrounded them and pointed out, calling everyone to his attention. "Huh? Look."

The group of friends looked out to the forest that was slowly deteriorating from the darkness before their eyes.

"The woods..." Kairi said, looking around, "...they're dying."

Sora shook his head, "It's not that the woods are dying. The darkness...it's managed to find its' way into the kingdom...and destroy it from the inside out..."

Merlin's eyes grew soft in sadness and concern, watching as his home world was slowly draining of life. "Things are worse than I feared, friends! So much worse, I'm afraid. Come, quickly! Into the house. Hurry," the old wizard said, tapping on their shoulders to direct them to the small, forgotten house.

The group took in the house. It was now just as empty and bare as the other house they had seem hin packing up in Radiant Garden. The only thing that was actually found in the house was what looked like a good-sized birdhouse attached from the ceiling. They could only assume Merlin was most certainly a traveling man and magic must have been a quite useful skill when it came to moving between his many homes.

Once inside, Merlin quickly shut the door behind him and went to the window where he peered out on the outside world. "Oh, dear. This is terrible. I HAD cast a barrier spell that would help repel the darkness away, but the darkness has still managed to seep through somehow and taint this world," the wizard said, looking up at the sky through the dusty window. "I suspect my magical barrier had been taken down in the process and made it easier for the darkness to enter Camelot."

Lea stepped up next to the window and looked out at the dark woods, "I've seen this happen before - to my own home world, to Radiant Garden. Shortly after I'd...'become' an Organization member, my world was taken by darkness, too. Before Xemnas had taken us to the World That Never Was and began his work to form the Organization, I remembered seeing what had become of the town. It was overflown with darkness, much like what I see out there," the red-headed man said, pointing outside the window.

Merlin listened on to the young man.

"The darkness was just...sweeping through - draining all life out of everything it came close to...and well, you saw what had become of Radiant Garden when Maleficent took over. It was just an empty shell of what it used to be, wasn't pretty."

"And you think the same thing could happen to Camelot," Kairi asked, concerned.

Merlin nodded, "Oh, it most certainly could. It could happen to any world for that matter. We must find the Keyhole and quickly. It just might be the only way to save Camelot from falling. We'll have to set off and find the Keyhole immediately!"

"But what about, um, what did you call him? Wert? The boy who you were training?" Sora asked.

"Who?" A voice called from above.

Donald turned and looked up at Goofy, "Did you say something?"

"I didn't say anything," Goofy said.

"Who?" The voice said again.

Sora looked up, "Who's there?"

Their attention was drawn up to the ceiling, where the bird house stood.

From within the bird house, a small owl emerged, calling down to Sora, "I'd like to know who?"

"Oh, Archimedes!" Merlin said, calling up to the owl. "Oh, friends! Don't be alarmed. This is my pet and good friend, Archimedes. Now, have you been up there this whole time, my friend."

The owl nodded and perched himself on a spoke at the base of the birdhouse, "Oh, yes, Merlin. It is most dangerous out there in the world, Merlin. The approaching darkness is growing every moment! The kingdom is still without a king. There are dark times ahead for Camelot. Dark times, indeed!"

There was a small shout from the outside, which diverted their attention from the owl and turned to the window to look outside. From within the forest, they could make out a young blonde-haired boy in a dark red tunic run down the forest trail towards the house, followed closely behind by a swarm of Heartless.

"Who's that," Lea asked. "He looks like he could use some help."

"Oh, my word! That's Wart!" Merlin said, before storming out the door, calling back to the friends, "Fight off those devious creatures!'

"Got it!" Sora said, summoning his Keyblade to his grasps before quickly making his way out towards the forest, followed by Donald and Goofy.

"Looks like we've got more Keyblade-wielding practice ahead of us," Kairi said, summoning her Keyblade and running to the door.

"Of course we do," Lea said, rolling his eyes and summoning his Keyblade.

The group immediately went outside, their weapons drawn and charged towards the Heartless creatures. These beings in this world looked bizarre - like dark, shadowy figures in a stone shell that seemed almost inpenatrable. The creatures flexed their claws out from beneath their stone barriers.

Sora went to strike down on a Heartless creature but found that his blade was simply deflected away, not able to do any harm to the creature. "Agh, no good."

Kairi and Lea tried, but the same thing had happened to them, as well. Their blades, no matter how powerful, were unable to break through the tough stone of the creatures.

"I know the trick that'll take these bad guys out! Magic!" Donald said, jumping up and pulling out his staff. "Blizzard!"

A flurry of ice shards and crystalline snowflakes shot from within Donald's staff, freezing the Heartless in place. Sora, Kairi and Lea then went to strike the Heartless down and when they did so, they found that the ice crystals had frozen the creatures over, as they hacked away at the creatures as if they were breaking apart ice. When the creatures were defeated, they dissolved away into a dark cloud which dissolved into the air.

"Well, that takes care of that," Sora said, dusting his pants off and turning to his friends, "I suppose we'll have to use more magic in this world to take on the types of Heartless here."

Merlin turned to Arthur, concerned, as he placed his hands on the young boy's shoulders, "Oh, Wart. I was so worried something had happened to you. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Merlin." The boy nodded, "I was making my way back here to see if you'd come home, but those creatures attacked me and I ran. What are they, Sorcerer Merlin? They've just started appearing out of nowhere so quickly."

"They're called Heartless," Sora said. "They're creatures born from the darkness in peoples' hearts."

Merlin nodded and went over to the Keyblade wielder, "Oh, right. How could I forget? Wart, this is Sora and his friends. They're good friends of mine and I've helped them along their journey many times before."

"Sora..." Arthur mused, "You're...the legendary Keyblade wielder Merlin's told me about."

"Legendary?" Sora smirked and summoned his Keyblade. He let out a small chuckle, "No, heh heh, that's not me. Well, I mean, I am a Keyblade wielder, but definitely not a legend."

Lea interrupted, "I think you meant to say Lea, the legendary Keyblade wielder because I am a legend."

"Sora and his friends are here to help us fight off the darkness," Merlin said. "With his blade, he'll be able to seal away the heart of the kingdom so that the Heartless will not be able to reach it, my boy!"

Arthur pondered, "And if we find this 'heart' of the world, the darkness will start to fade away? Camelot will be saved?"

"Oh, of course, yes, but-" Merlin stood upright then, his eyes wide. "Wait, we?! You are not going, young man!"

"What? Why!?" Arthur whined, following Merlin into his house. The other friends soon followed the two inside.

"Why?! It is much too dangerous for a boy your age to see so much trouble!" Merlin explained, "Wart, I've been training your for some time now, in the studies of logic and history and all sorts of subjects any noble leader would need to rule over any kingdom one day. We have barely begun our necessary swordsmanship training. You are much too naive for these matters, especially when the whole kingdom is at stake!"

"What?" Arthur rolled his eyes, disappointed. "I'm sure Sora wasn't too much older than I am when he started getting involved in his adventures. Right, Sora?"

Sora shrugged, "I mean, I was probably only a year older tha-"

"Quiet, young man," Merlin shut Sora up and the Keyblade wielder instantly obeyed. "You are not going, Arthur, and that's final!" Merlin went to his bag then and opened up, magically pulling all that he had somehow packed in his bag, restoring all of it to its' original size and placing it perfectly around the room in its' correct spot. Now in this new home, the place looked exactly like his house in Radiant Garden.

Arthur went over to the old wizard, who was starting to tend to the fire he had started in the fireplace. "Merlin, please. If I'm going to become...at least a nobleman in Camelot one day, I need to go out and explroe - protect the kingdom."

Merlin sighed, "I know, Arthur, but if something happened to you, boy, I would never be able to forgive myself."

"You know, Merlin, we can look after him," Kairi suggested.

Sora agreed and nodded, "Yeah. I mean, there's a whole bunch of us. I'm sure we can take on any Heartless that might show up...and we'll keep an extra close eye on Arthu...Wart?"

"Oh, whichever is fine, thanks" Arthur said with a smile.

"Warthur," Lea said.

Merlin turned back to look at the young boy, "Are you sure, Wart? It could be very dangerous."

Arthur smiled and nodded, "Positive. We could consider this the next steps of our training, Merlin."

"Very well," the old wizard said, "but I will be keeping a close eye on you, young man. If I see any funny business, any at all, I will drag you back here 'Prestigitonium'!"

"Preso-what" Goofy asked, confused.

"Ah, nevermind that. It's a spell, very powerful stuff," Merlin turned back to Arthur, "Are we understood, my boy?"

"Understood. Everything will be okay since I've got you and Sora with me Merlin," Arthur nodded with a smile. "So, where are we off to first, then?"

Merlin pondered for a quick moment, tapping his finger against his chin. "Well, first...I think we should try and find the source of where all the Heartless are coming from...and then..."

Sora finished, "We find the Keyhole and seal it, protect it from the Heartless."

"Yeah, and that should make the darkness in the world disappear, at least lessen it a little," Goofy said.

"And it'd help out with getting rid of some of the Heartless, too!" Donald concluded.

"A worthy answer, my friends," Merlin nodded.

Sora's face grew determined. "We'll find that Keyhole. We'll make sure that Camelot is saved from the darkness."

"I'll protect the kingdom, too." Arthur said, "I might not be able to fight like the rest of you, but I would risk everything if it meant saving my home. I will fight for Camelot until my end."

"Hmm, and after we've defeated this darkness and restored all to how it should be, who knows," a small smile grew on the old wizard's face.

"We might even find Camelot's new king."

* * *

Yen Sid, Riku, Aqua and Ansem the Wise had left Traverse Town with the help of the old sorcerer's magic and returned to the Mysterious Tower, where they made their way up to Yen Sid's chambers, gathering around the desk that was placed at the center of the room.

Yen Sid closed his eyes and took a seat down at the chari behind his desk. He sighed deeply, "One master saved, while another lost..."

Riku scratched the back of his head, "Didn't turn out exactly as we planned, did it?"

"Indeed, it did not," the sorcerer replied. "With Mickey still lost to the realm of darkness, we are still short two Keyblade wielders to join in the war against Xehanort."

"The seven lights," Aqua recalled, remembering what Riku and Mickey had told her about Xehanort's ambitions while they were trapped in the dark world. "There's me and Ventus. Riku and Mickey..."

"Lea, Kairi and Sora..." Riku finished, "All seven are needed to fight against Xehanort and the war won't begin until we're all gathered, but with Mickey missing now, too..." Riku sighed out, feeling like he had failed his friend when he would do anything to save the King.

"I know what you're thinking Riku," Yen Sid bowed his head. "You're thinking of returning to the realm of darkness to rescue the king."

"Of course I am," Riku said.

"But it's much too dangerous, Riku." Yen Sid said, "Mickey has fallen even deeper into the darkness and there is no guarantee that all of us would return from the dark realm again."

Riku sighed and crossed his arms, "Well, then what do you suppose we do?"

Yen Sid closed his eyes, deep in thought as he formulated their next steps.

While the two men spoke back and forth with one another about what to do next, Aqua glanced over to the side and caught sight of Ansem the Wise, who appeared to be in deep thought.

She slowly walked up to the robed man, "Is everything okay? You seem...perplexed."

"The haze is clearing," Ansem said.

"Hm?"

"My memories," Ansem mumbled, "They're slowly returning to me, rechaining themselves together in my mind ever since returning from the realm of darkness."

"Well, that's a good sign, then," she replied with a small smile.

Ansem nodded, "Yes, each day, more and more memories are returned. I can remember Xehanort and the apprentices, my study of the light and darkness, my time in Radiant Garden, meeting the King, Kairi..."

Aqua turned, her interest piqued, "Kairi?"

"My niece," Ansem said with a small smile, "My sister's daughter. I'm certain Riku was the only one who had established our connection, however."

"I suppose so," Aqua said, "I'd only met her once. Long ago at Radiant Garden, beneath the castle."

Ansem nodded, "Yes, she'd spent a short time of her childhood with her parents living in my castle, but when the darkness had turned its' wrath on Radiant Garden, she and her mother had escaped to the very islands in which Sora and Riku had lived."

"And they all grew up there, together as friends," Aqua mused.

Ansem lowered his head, "I had tried to spare her from the darkness, but it only worked for so long, as the darkness soon took her home, too. The darkness...it has a way of spreading to everything, even that which we try to protect so."

"Yes, it does," Aqua said, lowering her head, as her mind went to Terra. Her attention then turned back to the old sorcerer who was conversing with Riku.

"Very well then," Yen Sid said, "We will try to send a message to Mickey and establish communication with him. Since Aqua was able to send Master Eraqus' Keyblade from within the realm, perhaps we'll be able to send a message to him, too."

"Right, at least we might be clued in a little to be able to track him down," Riku said, crossing his arms. "Hmm, I wonder how Sora and the others are doing with tracking down the princesses..."

"Let us see," Yen Sid said, waving his hand above the wooden desk. A puff of smoke appeared and from within, a rippling magical portal appeared with a vision of Sora, Donald and Goofy bringing Alice back to Radiant Garden with them from Wonderland.

Riku smiled, "They found Alice. There's just five more they have to find. Once we get Mickey back, it'll look like thing'll be looking up."

The image in the vision portal then transitioned elsewhere - a dying forest in the kingdom of Camelot. Sora, with Spooky on his shoulder, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea, Merlin and an unknown young boy trailed their way down the forest path.

"It seems they never did release that shadow like I requested," Yen Sid sighed and placed a hand to his forehead, slightly agitated, but he figured there was little he could do to change the Keyblade wielder's heart in keeping the Heartless shadow nearby. "It appears as though they're keeping themselves busy in Camelot with my good friend Merlin."

Riku nodded, watching over the portal, "We should try and contact them...tell them we brought Aqua back to the realm of light safe and sound. And I suppose, tell them what happened to Mickey, too..."

"Indeed," the sorcerer nodded. Yen Sid began to wave his hands in the air, beginning a magical spell to send an illusion of himself to update the other group in Camelot. However, Yen Sid stopped when he caught sight of Riku.

The white-haired young man stared down into the portal, with confusion and an ounce of fear in his eyes. From within the portal, secretly trailing down the forest path behind Sora and his friends, he saw himself...and yet, it wasn't himself. It was the dark version of himself, clad in the uniform that had materialized whenever the darkness took hold over his heart. This 'other' Riku crept through the trees, keeping his eyes fixated on his targets, stealthily moving about the forest like a snake.

"Huh," Riku gasped, "That's not...me?"

The dark Riku stood still then and stared directly ahead, staring face to face with Riku through the portal, as if knowing the 'real' Riku was spying on him. He let out a dark chuckle as he summoned his Soul Eater blade.

Riku's eyes widened, as visions passed through his mind's eye, seen only by him.

He was in the fogged town streets of Radiant Garden, as a figure wearing an Organization robe approached him. Instantly, the two met with the clash of blades as Riku summoned his Keyblade. Their blades continually clashed, fending off one another's attacks and trying to strike the other down before they could attack again. The intensity of the battle was immense, the attacks and counterattacks never ceasing, as sparks flew as the blades clashed.

When Riku's opponent had seized an opening in his attacks, they lifted their foot up and kicked Riku in the chest, sending the young man to the ground.

Riku winced in pain, but before the opponent could approach, he back flipped onto his feet and again, their blades clashed with one another. Riku clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, trying to use all of his power to fend the enemy off and push him back with his Keyblade. As Riku tried to fend off the enemy then, he caught a glimpse into his opponent's glowing golden brown eyes, masked beneath the shadows of their hood.

The glance was soon over though, as within a moment, the battle resumed. Riku encircled his Keyblade in the air, angling it down to strike the enemy - but the opponent had anticipated the attack and blocked the Keyblade with his own weapon, sending Riku's blade flying through the air.

Riku watched in terror as he looked behind him, seeing his weapon clatter to the ground, out of reach.

He turned his face around just in time to see his opponent impale their blade right through his chest, a sharp cry of pain escaping him.

The white-haired young man went to grasp the handle of the blade that had impaled him. It was Xehanort's blade, with the all-seeing eye centered at its' helm.

Riku snapped out of the vision then and the portal closed. He stumbled back as his breath came harsh and quick. It was the same dream he had been experiencing ever since he entered the realm of darkness, though he hadn't had it since he returned. A part of him hoped and believed that it was just a sick vision brought to him in the realm of darkness, one that would leave after he escaped, but he couldn't help but remember the nightmare Ansem's words.

 _"All these dreams are memories of things that have happened before...and things that will happen in the future."_

He knew that, no matter where he was, realm of darkness or not, this dream was going to become a reality at some point - with Riku's end met by Xehanort.

Yen Sid went to the man then, "Riku? Are you alright? What happened?"

"Another nightmare," Aqua questioned.

"Yeah," Riku said low, "The same one as before."

"What happens," the woman asked.

"It's...just a nightmare of me fighting Xehanort...or someone like Xehanort..." Riku began.

Yen Sid looked at the young man, "And?"

Riku stuttered for a little bit, "And...well, I...the dream ends before anything else happens," he lied, not wanting to reveal the truth of this visionary fate, at least not yet.

"A dream of just a battle," Aqua mused. "Well, we'll be fighting Xehanort and his army sooner or later, so it's bound to happen anyway."

Riku nodded, "Yeah. Bound to happen..."

"I suppose that we'll..." Yen Sid began, but then his face grew with concern. He brought his hand down to rub his chin as if in deep thought, sensing something stirring far away - darkness rising.

"Master Yen Sid," Aqua questioned, looking up at the man. "Is everything alright?"

"No. Not quite. I sense a troublesome darkness brewing somewhere near," Yen Sid said, closing his eyes and raising his hands to the sides of his head, as if trying to pinpoint the location of this darkness through his mind. He searched through the vast galaxy of knowledge and ability in his mind, finding the destination of where this darkness was brewing before his eyes slowly opened.

"The King's kingdom - Disney Castle."

"The darkness is taking over that kingdom," Aqua questioned.

"It's threatening to, that's certain," Yen Sid confirmed. "I can sense it ready to strike the kingdom down..."

"We should go and make sure everything is alright," Riku suggested. "We might even be able to find some way to communicate with Mickey there."

"Indeed," Yen Sid nodded. "We must hurry to the castle. Ansem the Wise, stay here. It is much too dangerous to expose you to the darkness yet again. The tower is protected by enchantments to repel the darkness away. You'll be safe here."

Ansem the Wise nodded, thinking it'd be best to not jump right back into a fight against the darkness as he was still recovering.

"Quickly, to Disney Castle," Yen Sid said, before a cloud of smoke wrapped around him, Riku and Aqua.

* * *

The hallway of Disney Castle stretched a long ways, as banners with the king's royal crest on them draped down from the tall castle ceilings above. The long hall stretched all the way towards the library, where Queen Minnie and Daisy had peacefully been gathered during their morning tea and studies, before they were met with the loud interruption of Huey, Dewey, Louie and Scrooge McDuck, informing them that the kingdom might have been infiltrated by unwanted visitors.

"Queen Minnie! Queen Minnie!" Huey jumped up, "Come quick!"

"The castle might be in danger," Dewey said, running to the queen.

Minnie rose from her desk, "Oh, dear. What do you mean?"

"We found a funny looking entrance opened up which goes all the way down to below the town!" Louie said, "Someone opened it up and came through!"

Daisy looked between her nephews and the Queen, concerned, "Are you certain, boys?"

Scrooge nodded and tapped his cane forward, "Aye, lasses! I was right there with 'em when I saw it! The boys speak the truth! A large entrance opened up on the castle grounds! I've seen it with me own two eyes."

Minnie ran out from around her desk, walking to the exit of the library, as Daisy, the three nephews and Scrooge ran out after her, "Oh, dear! This doesn't sound good!"

"Not good at all," Dewey said, running down the hall after the Queen.

"Please, please show me where you found this," the Queen said, leading the group down the hall and into the courtyard below.

Once the coast was clear and the hall was then empty, Pete appeared from over the side of the balconies that looked out onto the courtyard on the one side of the hall. He climbed his way up with a boisterous laugh, before he plopped himself down into the hall with a heavy thud, which seemingly shook the castle.

"Ahaha, now that those goody two-shoe royals are too busy worrying about their pwecious wittle kingdom, it gives me the perfect chance to bust in and steal that there Cornerstone of Light," he let out another loud laugh.

He stomped down the hall and went to the large twin doors that led to the grand hall. He pushed open the smaller door that was found within the bigger door and stomped his way into the large white hall. Ue quickly made his way to the end of the massive hall, which led to a royal blue platform where the King and Queen's golden thrones stood.

"Let's see now. It should be here somewhere," Pete said, as he examined the platform which he stood. He stepped a few times on the platform before he went over to the thrones. He patted around the thrones for a little bit, as if trying to find a little latch or switch. He went to the underside of one of the throne's arms and found what felt like a little button there.

"Aha! Got it!" Pete pressed down on the button and watched as the platform slowly started shifting to the side, revealing a hidden staircase which led down to the Hall of the Cornerstone chamber, where the beacon of light was kept safe and away from prying eyes.

Pete walked down into the grand audience chamber and saw the crystalline, shimmering orb floating above it's podium. The big cat rubbed his hands together and let out a devilish grin. "When I get a holda that thing, my buddies'll be able to fill this darn castle up with the darkness," he laughed.

He went over to the orb and grasped it with both hands, picking it up as if it was as light as a bubble and heaving it up onto his back, carrying it away even as the Cornerstone was almost twice the size of him. Without another word, with the giant orb being carried and supported on his back, Pete ran from the chamber, stealing the castle's precious beacon and protector of light.

He laughed to himself, running down the grand hall and back towards the courtyard, "Those darn fools left their precious Cornerstone unguarded AGAIN! All's I'm doin' is teachin'  
em a lesson! They shoulda learned the first time I took the Cornerstone!"

Pete rushed down into the garden outside of the castle, heaving the large Cornerstone behind him. When the villainous accomplices saw that Pete had indeed been successful in his task to abduct the Cornerstone of Light, they emerged from their hiding places in the garden.

"I'm impressed, darling," Cruella said. "You actually managed to do it. I thought you were just an utter, incompetent failure. I guess you're just utterly incompetent."

"Now, we can fill that castle up with our very own special touch of darkness," Hades said with a snicker. "Doesn't seem like it'll be the happiest place in town once we're finished with it."

Gaston emerged, steadying his bow and arrow, "More importantly, we can find that data extractor now and continue on with Maleficent's plans."

"And that blasted cricket's journals, too," Hook said with a wry smile, "I would gather that they're somewhere in the royal library for safe-keeping."

"Seems our plans are going rather swimmingly well then, wouldn't you say so, James," Cruella asked.

"Indeed," Hook nodded, "Let's begin our next move while those bloody royals are still dawdling about like a bunch of confused fools."

"Yes, we break through," Gaston said, leading the way through the garden and up to the small doorway at the base of the castle which led to the castle hall.

Pete stumbled back, catching the Cornerstone in his hands before almost dropping it to the ground. "Ooh, um, d-don't worry about me! I'll find someplace to hide this thing where those royals won't get their nitty gritty hands on it!"

"We weren't worried about you," Hades said.

"Just don't mess anything up, Oaf!" Cruella called back and turned to Hook, "I don't even know his damn name. I've just been calling him Oaf this whole time."

"We've come this far, just keep yourself out of sight so you don't set us back." Gaston called out to Pete, "We'll handle it from here."

Pete sighed out and lowered his head, feeling dejected and sad as he watched his cohorts leave him behind, not really caring about where he went or what he did as long as it didn't affect their plans. It made a part of him wonder why he was even here with them doing any of this, especially since it wasn't like he necessarily enjoyed working alongside them, either.

Truth be told, the only reason why he was still in this gig was because, although clumsy and lazy, Pete had a sworn loyalty to Maleficent ever since she had helped him escape from his confinement in the Disney Castle years ago and he strived to help her succeed. Though, thinking back now, he and Maleficent never got along and there certainly wasn't any feelings of companionship or friendship between them or between him and any of his other cohorts.

It made him question to himself why he was still in this business when there wasn't much he seemed to enjoy from it other than not having to play by anyone else's rules.

"Hmm, doh!" Pete said, slumping down next to the Cornerstone, not really caring if he'd get caught at this point anymore. "You know, I guess...some rules to play by wouldn't be so bad. Hmm, ohhh...it's just not fair."

The burly cat huffed up and stood up, taking the Cornerstone with him and heading to one of the many exits of the castle grounds, heading into the town that surrounded the castle.

Back inside the castle, Hades, Hook, Cruella and Gaston made their way down the long hall, headed towards the library.

"Eh, nice place they got here," Hades said.

"Nice? Darling, it's a castle littered with mice and ducks and who knows what other animals they just brought in from outside," Cruella said, fluffing her coat up. "Just being in this ghastly place makes me want to take a bath."

"We won't be here long enough to hear any more complaints from you," Gaston said, leading them to the chamber at the end of the hall.

Cruella scoffed at the hunter, "Didn't Oaf say that he found the 'data extractor' in the library when he and Mal took their trip through the journal?"

"Indeed, he did," Hook said, "It should still be there."

They reached the end of the hall, where Gaston pushed open the door to the chamber and the four villains entered. They walked in and searched the room. There was a fireplaced along one wall, a huge bookcase which took up an entire wall from the amount of books in the library, a desk at the center of the room and framed portraits of the King throughout different stages in his life - but no sign of the data extractor.

"Well? Where the hell is the blasted thing," Cruella asked.

"It's not here," Gaston said. "It must have been moved to a different part of the castle. We continue our search."

"Ah, yes, but the cricket's journals might be here," Hook said, moving over to the bookshelf and scanning through the countless books.

Hades turned from them and smirked, "In the meantime, I think this place could use a little touch of darkness to spice things up." The Lord of the Dead focused on building up the dark powers within him, as a fleet of large shadow Heartless emerged from within the dark waves that pulsed through the castle from the library. The dark aura traveled through all the chambers of the castle, releasing large Heartless beasts throughout as the castle slowly became overflown with the dark creatures.

Cruella peaked out of the slightly opened door, seeing the hall flooded with Heartless as they began rampaging through the castle, clawing at the walls and stomping down hard on the floor, wanting to destroy the castle on purpose. "Lovely work."

"Of course, as always," Hades said, brushing off his shoulders, feeling accomplished by the easy work.

"That should help take care of those pesky royals," Hook said.

"I should have known it would be you!" The villains looked back from the bookshelf and saw Queen Minnie standing there along with Daisy.

"Spoke too soon, did you, James," Cruella said.

Daisy pointed at the villains, "It was you that flooded the castle with those dark creatures and broke into the kingdom!"

"Well, aren't you a smart duck," Hades said, moving closer to the two royals. "From here on out, we'll be doing the talking, ladies."

"Right. Enough games," Cruella said, walking up to the two. "Let's have a little chat, shall we? Women to women. Where's the data extractor and the Cricket's journals? We know you're keeping them hidden away within the castle somewhere. So talk."

Minnie stomped her foot down, "Never! They're hidden away and you'll never find them! That's all you need to know."

"Oh, let's not think irrationally, darling. We need those journals," Cruella said. "And we won't be leaving until we get them."

"And neither will you," Gaston threatened.

Daisy placed her hands on her hips, "How did the sort like you even manage to get into the castle?"

"Well, we're so high and mighty, aren't we," Hades scoffed.

"We couldn't have done it without Oaf's help," Cruella said with a small smile.

"I believe you're familiar with Pete. After all, he comes from this kingdom," Hades said.

Minnie's eyes widened, "Pete!? He's here, too? What did he have to do with this!?"

Hook sneered, raising his sharp hook up to them, "Ah, thanks to Pete and his help, he must be off hiding your precious Cornerstone of Light by now."

"Leaving the castle to the complete disposal of the darkness..." Hades smirked.

"He took our Cornerstone!?" Minnie said, "Oh, dear!"

"Serves you right. All we're really doing is teaching you a valuable lesson and well, if you're kingdom gets destroyed in the process, well, that's just the icing on the cake," Hades said. "Now, let's just make this easy on all of us and tell us where the data is. Maleficent has great plans ahead...and we're not going to dissapoint her."

"Never!" Minnie shouted. "We won't give up so easily, no matter how many Heartless you summon!"

Daisy nodded and shouted at Hades, "We're not going to give up, so run along now cause you'll have better luck when your Underworld freezes over."

"Fine, if you want to do this the hard way..." Hades said with a smirk, "...then we can do this the hard way."

The four villains' shadows loomed over Minnie and Daisy, as they cornered the two royals in the library. Minnie and Daisy trembled in fear as the villains approached, knowing that they would not be able to rid the kingdom of these dark figures unless the Cornerstone was returned or they gave the villains exactly what they wanted.

* * *

After having escaped from the grounds of Disney Castle, Pete had managed to make it all the way to the outside limits of Disney Town, where he had decided to leave the Cornerstone of Light shrouded in a cluster of trees, still not entirely hidden away, but he figured, with the sheer size and brightness of the beacon, it was probably going to be the best he could do to hide it at this point. It didn't matter now anyway - the villains had already infiltrated Disney Castle by this point and were on their way to retrieving the data they needed and flooding the castle with darkness.

Pete was actually quite surprised and proud of himself, managing to get this far and not doing anything to mess up the villains' plans yet.

'If only it was for a betterer cause or somethin',' Pete thought to himself. 'Whoa, wait wait. What are ya sayin' to yourself, Pete?' He turned back to the castle, knowing that his cohorts were there engaging in the next steps of their plans and even though he felt like he should go re-join them, he just didn't want to.

'But if I don't go back with 'em, I ain'ts got nowhere to go,' Pete thought, as he made his way opposite of the castle and walked into the downtown districts of Disney Town, a place he was all to familiar with after spending most of his life there. The courtyard was big and colorful, surrounded with tall city buildings, bright street lamps and benches lining the sidewalks, a huge stage on one side of the square and a big gazebo structure at the center.

On one side of the courtyard, at the correct vantage point or if you were tall enough, one could see the tall cranes and construction site of which was soon going to be 'Disney Kingdom', the most wonderful place in town. In royal proclamation by Queen Minnie, Disney Kingdom was built as a place to celebrate the Million Dreams ceremony and it was going to be a place unlike an other, filled with many attractions, amazing food, sights and sounds only to be experienced there - even a huge castle which was rumored to stand hundreds of feet tall at the center of the theme park.

In hasty preparation for the opening of Disney Kingdom, Queen Minnie, Clarabelle Cow, Scrooge McDuck and Ludwig Von Drake had put their brains, skills, munny and knowledge together to create a place which was sure to be masterful. It was only a matter of time before the place officially opened to one and all...with the hope that it would be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.

But, hope and inspiration was what Pete needed right now...and not from some theme park.

Pete walked up and slumped down on one of the benches. He saw a few familiar faces from the past as they made their way through town.

Clarabelle Cow and Clara Cluck walked by, as the two gossiped about all sorts of things. Ludwig Von Drake was at the far corner of the square, testing some new type of gadget he'd been working on that helped power the electricity within the city. The box he was working on faltered for a moment and spasmed, causing the street light to blink on and off for a moment before stabilizing. Moments later, Horace Horsecollar walked right by lugging supplies to prepare for the upcoming season of Disney Town's Annual FruitBall tournament. On the stage, two birds, a chicken and a parrot, whom he recognized as Panchito Pistoles and Jose Carioca, well-known performers in Disney Town, were setting up for an afternoon performance.

The plaza was bustling with busy toons, but Pete simply slouched on the bench, feeling like he had nowhere to go and nothing to do.

The citizens of Disney Town were far too busy with their own lives to even notice Pete sitting there. And even if they had noticed him, it was likely they would have either ignored him regardless or would have turned him in to the royals at the castle upon spotting him. It was rather common knowledge that Pete was a trickster back in the day and it was unlikely that the citizens of Disney Town had forgotten about it. It was even more unlikely that they were willing to forgive him for all the trouble he used to cause, at least that's what Pete thought.

"Aw c'mon, Max. What happened with Roxeanne," Pete heard a voice speak from the other side of the gazebo.

"Ugh, I don't wanna talk about it. I made a fool of myself in front of her...as usual," Another voice said, the two voices growing closer to Pete. "AND school's ending this week, so now I probably won't even get a chance to see her until September, P.J."

"Max, we all live in the same town. She doesn't live too far away from the castle. It's not like she's disappearing forever," P.J. said. "Have you thought about just asking her out? Maybe she likes you, too and is waiting on you to make the first move, buddy."

"Me? Roxeanne? Ha, yeah right." Max rolled his eyes and scoffed, "She's the prettiest girl in school. She could have any guy she wants. I'm...nothing special. I'm lucky enough to see her every now and then between classes."

Pete looked up from the bench and saw Max, Goofy's boy, walking along with his own son, backpacks slung over their shoulders, as they made their way home from school. His heart lifted, but felt sad at the same time. It had been quite awhile since Pete had spent time with his son or even saw him for that matter and he wasn't entirely sure if Pete Jr., as his father had named him, wanted anything to do with his dad anymore.

"Aw, c'mon, Max! You're a catch," P.J. reassured his friend, "And Roxeanne would be lucky to have you as her guy. You just gotta find some way to catch her attention."

"Hmm, maybe you're right," Max said. "Oh, shoot. I forgot, the Powerline television special's on tonight."

"Aw, man, that's gonne be so awesome!"

Pete stood up from the bench then and slowly stepped a few feet towards the two boys. His feet dragged behind him, somewhat defeated and already knowing that his son was going to be disappointed in him for not being around too much anymore.

He slouched a few feet forward more when Max and P.J. nearly walked past him, before clearing his throat and waving weakly, "Son."

P.J. turned to look at his father, after what seemed like so long without him, "Dad?" A loon of confusion and hurt flashed across the son's face, "Dad, what are you doing here?"

"I...um, well..." He knew that if he had told his son what he was really doing, helping the villains infiltrate Disney Castle and stealing the Cornerstone, Pete Jr. would only be more infuriated with his father, but the bigger part of Pete's heart didn't want to continue the sneaky charades, the lies or the deceit. He figured, honestly, for once, was the best policy.

"I, um...oh geez..." Pete continued.

Max stood a few feet back at the gazebo and watched the awkward and unexpected meeting between father and son.

"Dad, come on. What is it?"

Pete huffed up and lowered his head, defeated. "I was helpin' some of the villains break into the castle to steal somethin' for that mean, old witch Maleficent."

His son's expression didn't change, although it still showed disappointment. "I figured as much. You still haven't changed after all this time, dad. You're still doing these petty schemes and these tricks and for what?"

Pete frowned, "Son, I-"

Pete Jr. shook his head, "Dad, a part of me was hoping that you'd say you were here because you wanted to see me. After your whole stupid Captain Dark-Justice thing you tried pulling in this town years ago backfired, you just up and left me and mom and we've barely seen you since!" The son's voice rose, digging deeper into the problems he had towards his father. "And now I realize, you're still doing the same bad things, now for worse people."

Pete lowered his head and nodded, feeling ashamed with his himsekf, but also understanding that his son was right and did have every reason to be upset. "Aw, but son, I-I do want to see ya and mom. Things just...got complicated real fast...workin' with people I shouldn'a been workin' with."

"You just completely left us behind, dad. Like you forgot about us," Pete Jr. said, "At least Max's dad has been doing a royal honor to the king and has been trying to protect the worlds!"

Max opened his mouth to speak, but remained silent, figuring it best to just let the father and son hash it out - as he, himself, has been in squabbles many times with his own father. Although, he had missed his father, even though Goofy had the easy ability to drive him up a wall with his overprotective parenting techniques, Max understood that his father was serving a helping duty that not only protected his world, but all the other, too. He couldn't have been prouder.

Plus, living in a huge castle with Minnie, Daisy and a dozen other royal subjects looking out for him wasn't necessarily the worst life, either.

"At least Mr. Goofy is off saving the world, dad. You're just doing things to mess it up," Pete Jr. said. "Why couldn't you at least try to be better? If not for me, then at least try for yourself..."

"Son, I'm...I'm sorry," Pete said, lowering his head, ashamed. "But...I wanna try to do better. I wanna be there for you...and stop all these silly antics."

Pete Jr. sighed, but looked up at his father, "Then you need to show me that, dad, and you have to start by saving the castle."

"I know, son. I know...and I will," Pete nodded, "Oh, but that Queen Minnie'll probably throw me away forever when she realizes what I've done again..."

Pete Jr. shook his head, "Dad, Queen Minnie doesn't think you're a bad person...Misguided a lot of the time,...but not bad. Right, Max?"

Max nodded and walked up to his friend, "Yeah, Mr. Pete. I mean, I know you've done...some sneaky things around town, I guess, but if you try to be better, I'm sure the Queen will respect that. The best you can do is at least try."

"I...I think I can do that," Pete said, before turning to his son, "I'm sorry, P.J. Can you ever forgive me?"

A small smile appeared on his son's face, "I can, dad." He slowly moved in to hug his father. It would take some time to repair everything that had happened and to make up for the time, but Pete Jr. figured, the least he could is 'try', as well.

"I also stole the Cornerstone of Light and most likely imperiled the whole castle by my actions," Pete said in one breath as they hugged.

Pete Jr. sighed, but smiled slightly and nodded, "Any other secrets you want to get out?"

"No, that's it, son. I promise," Pete pulled away from the hug. "But I'll put that Cornerstone of Light right back to where it belongs if it means proving to you that I'm gonna change!"

Pete Jr. smiled, "Well, come on then, dad. You got some work to do!"

"Leave it to me," Pete said, running to the spot where he had hidden the Cornerstone of Light, followed by his son and Max.

* * *

Minnie and Daisy struggled against their binds, as Hades had placed smoky chains around them and the two ladies found themselves forced against the walls, as the other villains tore apart the library in search of the missing journals.

"I've already searched this shelf before," Gaston said, throwing the books out and onto the marble floor. The library floor was soon cluttered with dozens of books. "Useless books."

"Just because some books don't have pictures in them doesn't mean their useless, blockhead," Hook disparaged the man. "Search again. The bloody royals have hidden it somewhere! That much is certain! It's only the 'where' we have yet to find."

"You won't find them!" Queen Minnie confidently said. "They're hidden away, somewhere where you'll never find them! The data extractor, too!"

"Yeah, so you might as well scram out of here," Daisy said, struggling against her binds. "You're not going to get what you want!"

Hades sneered out, an inferno orb building within his hands as his skin turned blood red and his normally cool-blue hair turned bright orange. "I've had enough of this! Where are you keeping them?!"

Minnie and Daisy refused to answer, struggling against their binds. This caused Hades to move closer to them, until the two of them could feel the heat from Hades' flames on their skin.

Cruella laughed to herself at the sight, "Mmm, what's on the menu tonight? Looks like roast duck with a side of incredibly unappetizing steamed rat."

"It's your last chance," Hades said, "Are you sure you don't want to tell us? It would make things so much easier and less deadly," he threatened.

Minnie and Daisy stayed defiantly quiet and only continued to struggle against the chains.

Cruella smirked, "Try not to char them too badly. I'm sure I could find a great use for their skins."

"Oh, just get on with it already then," Gaston sneered. "They're not going to tell us where the journals or extractor are. We'll just have to tear apart the castle ourselves then after the Heartless do."

Hades turned back to the struggling royals, an evil grin on his face, as he prepared to do them.

There was a sudden jolt against the door then, causing the four villains to turn back, hearing only silence. They turned back to their task, before the same jolt occured again.

"What the bloody hell is that now," Cruella said, watching as Hook moved over to the door.

Hook opened up the tall library door and was then blasted back by a powerful force, thrown into the library bookshelf, as tons of books came down, toppling over him.

The villains eyes went wide as three unexpected visitors barged into the library - Riku, Aqua and Master Yen Sid.

"I don't remember inviting party guests to this little shin-dig," Hades commented.

"Oh, damn it all to hell," Cruella groaned.

Master Yen Sid's eyes went wide, "It was you dark souls that brought the darkness into the King's castle!"

"Guilty," Cruella smirked.

"If only the royals had been more cooperative, our business here would have been over and done with by now," Gaston said.

"Well, we're not going to let you ruin this castle any further," Riku declared.

"Hmph, the many Heartless are already doing that for us," Hades said with a wide smile.

Aqua summoned her Keyblade, "We'll fight them off, too."

"Good luck with that, girl," Gaston said, moving to reach for his bow and arrow, but found himself blasted back into the wall by Yen Sid, where Hook was starting to recover. Gaston collapsed in a heap.

Riku charged towards Hades and summoned his blade, just as the Lord of the Dead summoned a fury of fire to come blasting towards the young man. The Keyblade Master held his blade out in front of him and blocked the fiery orbs, sending them away, where they exploded mid-air. When the attack was finished, Riku leapt up and tried bringing his blade down onto the Lord of the Dead, as Hades tightly gripped the blade in his hands, trying to fend of the man's attack.

Hades smirked, "Hmph, I see you're still just as hard-headed as you were when you were in league with Maleficent and I."

"Things have changed since then, Hades," Riku said with a confident smile. "I'm on the winning side now."

"Please..." Hades sneered, trying to gain the upper hand in the attack, "You really think you can kill me? Hmph, I'm the Lord of the Dead. I'm a GOD. You can't kill me!"

"We might not be able to destroy you, but we can still stop you," Aqua said, leaping up into the air over the two and sending a flurry of ice shards towards Hades. The Lord of the Dead frozen in place, his flames completely extinguishing and leaving him with a rather bald head of hair.

Aqua ran over to the trapped Minnie and Daisy then, "Queen Minnie! Daisy! Are you okay? We came as soon as the Master sensed the darkness."

"Aqua! It's you!" Minnie exclaimed upon greeting her old friend. "We're fine. Could you help us?"

Aqua nodded and with her Keyblade, sliced through the smoky chains that kept the two ladies bound. Once free, Minnie and Daisy thanked Aqua and turned their attention to the Heartless in the corridor.

"We must take care of those Heartless," Minnie said, running to the hall, where a beam of holy light protruded from her and blasted the Heartless creatures back. "Light!"

Aqua quickly moved to follow after the two, but was cut off when Cruella stepped in her path. "And who are you?"

"De Vil, darling. Cruella De Vil," she scoffed. "Now be a good, little girl and leave the castle with your friends and let us finish what we started."

"No!" Aqua said, holding her Keyblade out in front of her. "If you're aligned with Hades and Hook, you must have a soul just as dark as theirs! I won't let you do anything to the castle!"

"My, my, harsh words for such a pretty face." Cruella smirked and fluffed out her coat, "Now, you're quite the fiery one. Just who the hell are you? I haven't seen the likes of you before, darling."

"I could say the same for you, darling," Aqua shot back. "My name is Master Aqua...and I'll fight the darkness until my end, which means...I'll fight you."

"Aqua. Too ironic, love," Cruella scoffed while she looked up and down Aqua's form. "It looks like you got lost in a can of blue paint and bad fashion sense."

Aqua tilted her head, pretended to be offended, "Really? I don't think you have the room to talk about appearances."

Cruella shrugged, "What can I say? Born flawless."

"Well, are we going to fight then?" Aqua questioned, "As I said, you're not getting what you want today."

"Oh, darling. Calm down," Cruella rolled her eyes and laughed at the girl. "I'm a lover, not a fighter. I'm too much of a lady to fight, take a lesson, darling. I leave the dirty work to the boys."

Aqua couldn't believe her opponent, "So, you have no powers, no weapon...and you're not fighting for anything? So, why are you even here...?"

Cruella thought for a long moment, before a guilty smile appeared on her face, "...I'm a really horrible person and I like watching people not be happy."

Aqua sighed and shook her head, "At least you're honest."

"Ah, darling, look we're getting along already," Cruella smirked.

"Yeah, but by the looks of things, your friends over there could have really used you in their corner," Aqua said, pointing to the three other men in the room.

"What?" Cruella said and turned her head, seeing Gaston still lying unconscious on the floor. Hook was in a duel with Riku and was slowly losing to the boy, while Yen Sid had kept Hades enchantedly frozen in place, like a pillar of ice. Cruella scoffed and stomped her feet, realizing that if it hadn't been for the three intruders, they would have been able to get the upper hand, but now - they were forced to accept the failure of their mission and return to Maleficent empty-handed.

"Enough of this madness. You shall not harm the castle," Yen Sid said and with a single wave of his Keyblade, a beam of light shone forth and shot into the air. The light grew so strong that it became blinding. The power of light scoured the room and detected the power of darkness and it was only a short moment before Hades, Hook, Cruella and Gaston found themselves flying through the air, ejected from the library, and landing in a heap on the floor in the castle hall.

Hades rose to his feet, disoriented and confused, "You dare attack a diety?!"

From the library, Yen Sid unleashed another beacon of light, which brought Hades back to the ground, pushing the other villains back down the hall, as they toppled over one another like a bunch of fools. It was like a powerful barrier kept on pushing against them, as if they were being pushed by a strong screen of blinding wind that tore them asunder.

At that same moment, Pete, Pete Jr. and Max appeared in the hall with the Cornerstone of Light, catching the villains by surprise.

"Oaf? What are you doing back here," Cruella said.

"And with that blasted Cornerstone of Light," Hook added.

Pete looked down at his son and smiled," I'm doing the right thing...for a change. I realized you guys're only bringin' me down and I've been doin' not so nice things for too long! But no more, we're done!"

Without another word, Pete Jr. and Max opened the large doors which led to the Grand Hall and the Hall of the Cornerstone, where Pete was going to return the Cornerstone of Light to its' rightful place.

"Blasted Oaf! He's managed to undo what little good work he actually managed to accomplish," Cruella grunted.

There was another piercing, blinding light from Yen Sid's Keyblade, which brought the villains to their knees again, struggling to keep their vision clear.

Gaston stammered back, feeling as if he'd met his match, "We're outmatched. We can't compete against them...at least not without Maleficent. We retreat," he said, before storming from the hall.

Hades turned to Cruella, "He's right. We can't keep going like this. The three of them...are all too powerful and skilled for their own good. We'll deal with Maleficent's wrath later."

Cruella nodded and followed after the Lord of the Dead. Before she reached the steps which led down into the courtyard, she stopped in her tracks and turned back, running back to the hall, where she saw Hook unconscious on the floor. "Jimmy!"

She quickly ran over to him, and bent down next to him. She whispered out to him, "Jimmy! Jimmy! Come on, love."

Hook groggily responded and sat up slowly, feeling like his head was spinning fully around his body.

"Oh, dear. Let's get you better. I can think of a few things to help," she said, placing Hook's arm over her shoulders to help support him while the two of them walked away.

"Something to help with the pain? Gin?" Hook questioned.

Cruella let out a small laugh, "I was going to say bed rest. Though, gin could work, too."

The two villains went down the hall, following shortly behind Hades and Gaston, escaping from Disney Castle after their mission had ultimately failed once they had been outmatched.

* * *

Pete, Pete Jr and Max made their way down into the Hall of the Cornerstone with the Cornerstone of Light.

Minnie turned when she saw them, "Oh, dear! You've found it!"

"That's why the Heartless were able to get into the castle!" Daisy said, "The Cornerstone was stolen."

Minnie gave a sigh of relief when she walked up to the glowing orb, "Oh, who could have stolen it?"

Pete peaked his head out from the large object which blocked him from the queen, "Oh, um, hiya, Queen Minnie."

"Pete!? What are you doing here!?" Minnie said, stomping her foot down, angrily. "Were you the one that's responsible for all this!?"

Pete nervously scratched his head, "Um, well,...uh...kinda. I helped the others, Hades and them, sneak into the castle by taking the Cornerstone..."

"So you helped bring the Heartless into the castle, Pete! Do you realize what damage you could have done," Daisy said, pointing at the big figure.

"Doh, hmm...I'm sorry," Pete lowered his head, ashamed.

"Please don't be too mad at him, Your Majesty," Pete Jr. said, turning to Queen Minnie. "I know what my dad did was wrong, but...he wants to be better. He's sorry for everything he's done."

Minnie remained silent and looked between the father and son.

Pete nodded, a sad expression on his face, "It's true...I'm sorry, Queen Minnie, for everything I've done. I really am, but...no more schemes or tricks from me, Your Majesty! I-I promise! Could...could you ever forgive me?"

Minnie lightly smiled, "Of course I can, Pete. Just as long as you try do be better from now on.'

"Oh, I will," Pete replied. "I will! First things first though, I gotta return this big ol' shiny orb back to where it belongs." Pete lifted the Cornerstone of Light up and carried it over to the center of the chamber.

He placed the orb back on the pedestal and back in its' place. After a moment, a wave of pure light passed out from within the orb and spread out until it completely moved through the whole castle. Any and all Heartless that were still in the castle were immediately vanquished once the Cornerstone was returned and all darkness was removed from the castle then.

By the change of heart by an unexpected hero, the darkness within Disney Castle was vanquished and the kingdom, the royals and the hidden journals were saved from the villains.

* * *

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Lea, now also accompanied by Merlin and Arthur, traveled down the forest path, which led deeper into the dying woods and away from the castle at the heart of Camelot. As they progressed further through the woods in search of the Keyhole, the woods seemed to grow quieter and gloomier, the darkness growing with every passing step. The tree branches and roots stretched around the forest path like a tunnel of tangled vines.

Arthur turned to Sora as they walked down the path, his voice cutting through the unnerving silence, "So, what exactly is this Keyhole?"

"Oh," Sora tilted his head in thought, "Well, they're...the heart of the world. They're what the keeps the worlds alive."

"Yup. And every world out there has a Keyhole to help protect it from the Heartless and the darkness," Goofy said.

Sora turned to explain to Arthur, "You know, it was some time ago, when Donald, Goofy and I first met that we went on a quest through many worlds, finding Keyholes and protecting them from the darkness. Though, we...have much more to worry about nowadays than just the darkness."

Arthur continued to question, "What happens if the Keyhole isn't found and the darkness gets to it?"

Lea sighed, "Well, if the Heartless find the Keyhole, they enter into it and attack the world's core, which...well, causes the world to fall to the darkness and disappear."

"Oh, no," Arthur frowned and shook his head. "That would be a horrible fate."

Merlin nodded, "Yes, my boy! That's why it's so important that we find that keyhole while we still have the opportunity to do so."

Kairi turned to Arthur and tried to reassure him, "But even if the worst does happen, any world that falls to the darkness could be restored. It just might take some time."

Sora nodded and turned to the younger boy, "You know, that's actually how this whole adventure began."

Arthur tilted his head, curious, "Hm?"

"My home, the islands, it's where Kairi and I and our friend, Riku, live." Sora explained and summoned his Keyblade to his grasps, "As our islands were surrounded by the Heartless, our friend Riku was sucked away into the darkness...and then my Keyblade appeared to me...just moments before all the islands fell to the darkness...and my entire adventure to set things right started from there."

Arthur nodded, "It's almost as if the Keyblade came to you when you needed it most - to fight the battles ahead...and guard what needed protecting."

Sora let out a small chuckle, "Heh, something like that, I suppose..."

Kairi smiled, "But don't worry, Arthur. With all of us here, we're going to find that Keyhole and-"

"Look," Donald interrupted and pointed to the forest alcove ahead. There seemed to be a dark aura sweeping and gliding around the forest from the open alcove up ahead. Wherever the dark mist spread, the ground chipped and cracked, breaking away and draining the life out of the forest.

From out of the darkness, a group of larger Heartless shadows emerged - the NeoShadows, as they were called. The creatures were more humanoid than the other creatures, with arms and feet lined with faint blue veins. Evolved from the smaller shadow Heartless, the NeoShadows were larger pureblood Heartless, born from pure darkness and were altogether more ferocious and powerful.

The group charged towards the strong Heartless and lunged into battle, slicing and slashing their way through the Heartless, facing a bit more of a struggle than they usually would have against the Heartless enemies. While Sora, Kairi and Lea used their Keyblades to do the brunt of the work and slash through the dozen NeoShadows, Donald spent the battle using his magic on the creatures and 'sometimes' coming to his friends' aid to heal them. Goofy fended off the creatures and helped corner them so that Sora and the others could get a better advantage while fighting them.

Not long after, the NeoShadows dissolved into a cloud of blackness, but the darkness still remained heavy and constant within the forest.

Spooky leapt down from Sora's shoulder and walked adjacent to the dark trail. He examined the trail for just a moment and then wiggled its' antenna, looking ahead into the forest.

"What is it, Spooky," Sora asked, looking ahead and picking Spooky up off the ground.

"The darkness that's spreading into Camelot," Merlin said, examing the black aura, "...it's coming from up ahead."

They continued along the forest trail walking alongside the dark aura that trailed through the forest until they arrived at a crooked-looking hovel surrounded by the dense forest. The roof of the house was black and pointed, looking like a witch's hat.

"Oh, I should've known!" Merlin said, his brows furrowing in anger.

"What is this place," Sora questioned, taking a few steps closer to the twisted house.

"Ohh, hmph!" Merlin said, taking his wand from his pocket and angrily shaking it, "A place I'd hoped to never see again! She's always up to no good, that man woman!"

Lea scratched the back of his head, "Um, who exactly are we talking about?"

"Mim! Mad Madame Mim!" Merlin said, "She's a crazed witch, one that has been practicing the art of magic and sorcery for years!"

"Mad Madame Mim?" Donald questioned and then gave a heavy sigh, "Does she have to be mad? First the Mad Hatter, now this."

"I warn you, be careful," Merlin said, carefully stepping towards the house. "Mim is a trickster!"

"Just how much of a trickser are we talking about," Sora asked the old wizard. "Worse than Maleficent?"

Merlin tilted his head and squinted his eyes, "Well, compared to Maleficent, Mim can't magic her way out of a shoe box!"

"Well then, what are we doing being so cautious around here for," Donald said, "If that's where the darkness is coming from, why not just bust in on her and stop her." The duck said, charging at the door.

"Donald, wait," Sora called out.

Doofy called out, concerned, "Don't do anything reckless, Donald!"

"Merlin, should we help," Arthur asked.

The old wizard protectively held his arm out in front of the young boy, "No, no, no. You will not be going in there."

"The jig is up!" Donald slammed through the door and entered into the witch's small house, where Mim was sat at her table with a deck of playing cards in front of her. The sudden intrusion caused Mim to nearly jump up into the ceiling from the surprise.

When Donald caught sight of the witch, he was expecting something more terrifying and threatening. Instead, he caught sight of a pale-skinned, slightly frumpy looking woman with light purple hair in a pink dress.

"Oh ho ho, a duck!" Mim replied.

Sora and Goofy ran in after Donald and kept their distance away from the witch who stood at the table next to the fireplace hearn.

Mim gleefully clapped her hands together, "So many wonderful visitors today! What are you doing here, lads?"

"We saw the darkness coming from your house," Donald accused her, pointing at her. "Now stop what you're doing right now or you'll be sorry!"

"Darkness? Ah?" Madame Mim tilted her head confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about! I've done nothing!"

Sora crossed his arms and pouted, "Hmm, maybe Merlin was wrong then." He turned to the door and watched as Kairi and Lea entered into the house.

"Merlin!?" Mim threw her hands down and twilred through the cottage.

"Yupp, you know, Merlin, don't you?" Goofy asked, "One of the most powerful wizards throughout all the worlds."

"Merlin!? Merlin!?" She let out a loud laugh, as she gleefully bounced and twirled around her home like a deranged mad woman. A sense of mockery filled her tone and expression, "One of the most powerful wizards in the worlds? Why, I have more magic in one little finger! Now, don't tell me you haven't heard of the Marvelous Madame Mim!"

Lea scratched his head, "'Marvelous' wasn't the word used to describe you."

"I am the greatest! Naturally marvelous," Mim happilly spun around with a wide smile, flittering about. "I find delight in all things gruesome and grim!"

Sora shook his head," That's terrible."

"Oh, thank you, my boy," Mim happily clapped and bounced up and down.

Sora turned and whispered to Donald and Goofy, "Well, she's definitely, er...mad, but, I don't know. I don't think she has anything to do with the darkness here. At least she didn't sound like she did."

Lea shook his head and walked over to the others with Kairi, "Hey. I think we've reached a dead end here. We should head back to Merlin and start looking for that Keyhole in the right place.

Mim emerged from behind the group then, catching them all by surprise, "Hmmm! In cahoots with Merlin, are you!?"

"Maybe," Goofy shrugged.

Donald crossed his arms and tapped his foot on the ground, "And what's it to ya?"

"Cause in my book, that's BAD," Mim shrieked and stomped her foot down in anger. "So, my friends, I'm afraid I'll have to destroy you..."

"What?" Kairi gasped, "D-destroy us? Why? What did we do?"

"Ohhh!" Mim laughed, "Any friend of Merlin's is an enemy of mine!"

Sora and the group started to back away from the insane witch, "I think 'Mad' Madame Mim is an understatement."

Mim gleefully clapped her hands together and leapt, or rather, more like floated up onto the table. "So, what shall it be? Turn you all into rabbits and release you to the wolves!? Or should I turn you all into ants and squash you like the bugs you are!?" She joyfully laughed.

"Getting madder by the second," Kairi remarked.

Lea shook his head, "Nah, she skipped mad and went straight to psychopath before we even walked into the room."

Mim slowly approached the group, "Oh, now, now! Don't look so frightened, dears! I'm only going to painfully wipe you from existence!"

Donald stomped his foot down and crossed his arms, "Why do we always get outselves into these situations!"

Sora shrugged and summoned his Keyblade, "Yepp, well, we always get out of them, too."

Merlin appeared in the door then, carefully guarding Arthur from the mad woman, "Mim! Mim! Enough of this already! You won't be harming any of my friends today!"

Mim spun around, surprised to see her old wizarding nemesis. She tried to pass off her surprise with a look of sheer innocence. "Oh, Merlin! Merlin! We were just having a little chat."

"Yeah, it was so great!" Lea said, "She said she was gonna destroy us and gosh, if that just didn't make this day better, I don't know what will."

"Enough of your madness, Mim," Merlin said, approaching the witch and taking her away from the others.

"And what are you going to do about!?" Mim stomped towards him and playfully swatted at his face, "Want to fight!? Want to have a wizard's duel, do you!?"

"No, Mim! We haven't the time for unnecessary duels to prove our skills in wizardy," Merlin said. "There are some things bigger than an age-old feud between us! Camelot is dying."

"I know, I know," Mim clapped her hands together. "Isn't it just wonderful?"

"Confound it, Mim!" Merlin stomped his foot fown and wagged his finger in her face, "Were you responsible for this?! For bringing the darkness to Camelot?"

"I did no such thing, you old geezer!" Mim said, leaping down from the table in a graceful twirl as she pranced around the cottage. "I certainly wouldn't have beckoned those terrible creatures here myself. Though, they are so dark and exciting, aren't they?!"

"Then, how did the darkness seep through," Merlin questioned.

"Oh! You remember that wonderful, bright barrier you kept up around Camelot!?" Mim happily spun around and exclaimed, "I took it down! Dispelled it!" She laughed out loud.

"What!? Why, you -" Merlin angrily grunted, unable to finish his sentence. "Why would you do that!? That barrier was keeping Camelot protected from the darkness!"

"And you see, if I had known that, I might have considered keeping it up for just a little bit longer..." she grinned, a wide, terrifying smile with the look of insanity in her eyes,"...but when it comes to undoing your precious work, why, I simply can't help myself!" She let out another shriek of giggles.

"Mim, now all of Camelot is in danger! Because of you," Merlin shouted.

Mim gleefully clapped and fell backwards into one of her chairs, "I know! Isn't it wonderful!?"

"Oh, blasted insane woman!" Merlin angrily glared, before gathering his friends and leading them away from Mim's house, leaving the crazed woman to laugh meniacally on her own.

Sora shook his head walking back down the path that led back into the dark forest, "So, she didn't bring the darkness, but she didn't necessarily prevent it from coming, either."

"She egged it on, though," Lea said.

"And now, Camelot's facing the consequences," Kairi concluded.

They group walked a short distance further before Arthur turned his head to the sky and pointed upwards, a look of fear on his face from the dark omen he saw.

"Look," the young boy said.

The group looked upwards and saw that the otherwise afternoon sky had turned fully and completely dark - a blanket of pitch black darkness hovering over Camelot. All the light that was offered to the world was now kept hidden away and only the darkness continued on. Altogether, the world seemed all the more darker and gloomier than it did before.

"The sun...it's gone," Kairi examined.

"Something happened while we were at Mim's." Sora continued, a frown on his face, "The darkness...it's grown closer."

There was a large rumble that shook the world then. The group stumbled and fell to the ground as the violent shakes continued, causing leaves and branches to fall throughout the forest, clattering and covering the forest path. From the blackness of the dark sky above to the darkness that trailed throughout the forest, the dark aura wrapped around and through Camelot seemed to pulse as if alive, growing stronger with every passing second, sending waves of dark energy through the world.

"What's happening," Arthur said, looking around as the tremors continued to shake the world, the forest crumbling around them.

Merlin's eyes widened with fear, "The darkness...it's coming!"

Through the quakes that shook Camelot, the darkness seemed to be propelled towards the farther side of the forest, which led to the castle at the heart of Camelot. The darkness traveled in constant waves towards the castle grounds.

"The darkness is moving," Kairi examined, looking upwards.

Lea continued, "Traveling back towards the way we came."

"Back towards the castle," Merlin finished.

"It's...doing what the darkness does when it threatens to destroy the world," Sora said, looking up at the black sky. "...The darkness is moving towards the Keyhole. It's searching for it! And if it finds it before we do, this place...is..."

Merlin looked outward, "The Keyhole...it must be somewhere at the castle! Quickly, we must hurry! Camelot is depending on it!"

The group rushed off through the forest, back the way they had come and towards the castle.

* * *

Tired and weary from her long journey back to her castle at the edge of Radiant Garden, Maleficent used her staff to support her frail body as she walked up the path towards the entrance of her castle.

She sighed, defeated and tired, the years of darkness eating away at what was left of her heart and taking its' toll on her.'

She had arrived at the door of the castle when she was met with the most unusual sight - an apple, with a single bite bitten from it.

Her eyes widened, as she bent down picking up the apple. She examined the fruit for a moment, before she looked up towards the top of the castle.

'It's been a long time, old friend...'

Maleficent stared upwards, spotting a raven fly to the balcony of the castle, but not her own bird.

The raven landed on the stone ledge of the balcony, as a fair woman's hand trailed over the bird's feathers.

"She's arrived, my pet. I'm sure she'll be surprised to see me after all this time," the woman turned, her regal robes flowing out behind her as she entered the dark and gloomy chamber.

The raven fluttered its' wings and flew into the chamber, where it landed on the table at the center of the room and kept a close eye on the woman.

The figure walked directly to the back wall of the chamber and chuckled, "Hmph, I hope she doesn't mind that I took some liberties and did a little re-decorating."

She went to an object along the wall that had a thin drape over it. She pulled down on the cloth and revealed a round, oval mirror hung on the wall. Her attention was called when the raven made a small noise.

The woman let out a dark smile as she traced over her flawless reflection on the mirror, "Oh, she's nothing to worry about, my pet..." she smirked.

The Queen stared down her fair reflection in the mirror, a cruel glint in he eyes as she smiled.

"Maleficent may be the Mistress of All Evil, but I defined what evil truly is..."

* * *

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea, Merlin and Arthur quickly traced their back through the dark woods of Camelot, as the world was on the brink of falling to the darkness. The sky had turned fully black and the woods began fading away into the darkness. The world trembled and shook, as the darkness scoured through the sky in search of the keyhole at the castle, never wavering until it would find the core of the world.

The only hope for now would be to find and seal the Keyhole.

Merlin pointed to the path that traveled along the river's edge and trailed through the forest path all the way up to the draw bridge that led into the castle walls. "There!"

The team traveled through the short forest area, feeling another tremble once they reached the drawbridge to the castle. This castle was unlike many of the others that they had seen along their journeys. It wasn't nearly as tall as the castle in Radiant Garden or the one found in Rapunzel's world. This one was entirely made of stone and almost looked more like a fortress than some type of fantasy castle. It was a fortress that looked as if it was certainly prepared for war if it ever needed to fight.

The darkness swirled overhead, like a tornado, with the castle of Camelot at the eye of the storm.

"Come on, guys. The darkness is searching for the Keyhole." Sora called out to his friends, directing them forward, "It has to be somewhere up ahead!"

"We have to same Camelot," Arthur cried.

Before they could fully make it across the drawbridge that led over the loat that surrounded the castle ground, Sora stopped dead in his tracks when a figure emerged from the gate at the castle entrance.

"Huh? What are you doing here," he said, calling out to Riku - who looked exactly as he did when they had parted ways at Yen Sid's tower a week before.

Riku stopped and stared down at Sora from the entrance of the castle, blocking off their path.

"Riku?" Kairi questioned, looking at her and Sora's old friend.

Sora's eye grew concerned, "Riku, what's the matter?"

The white-haired man let out a dark chuckle then, "Riku? Hmph, not exactly." His clothes than transformed into his garments of darkness - the same Sora had recognized him in when they had fought at Hollow Bastion, when Riku was in full pursuit of the darkness and the powers they offered him.

Sora took a few steps backwards, holding an arm protectively in front of Kairi, "You...what are you?"

"Hm, so you really don't remember, Sora? We've met more than once before," the replicated Rilu cockily crossed his arms and smirked. "Castle Oblivion? I'm sure Axel...or whatever the hell his name is could inform you."

"Castle Oblivion," Sora spoke out loud. He recalled the name and he knew that he, Donald and Goofy had adventured there after defeating Xehanort's Heartless, but he was aware that the memories of the time spent at that mysterious castle were lost to him and his friends. He also knew that there were most likely people, specifically previous Organization XIII members, that he had most likely encountered at Castle Oblivion.

Lea smirked, seeing the replicated puppet again, knowing how easily manipulated it was and how much it wanted to be a person of their own. "Sora, he's just a puppet - a replica from Riku's memories made by Vexen, another former Organization member. It battled you and RIku many times at Castle Oblivion. Xehanort must have sent his younger self back in time to when we were at Castle Oblivion and made it into a new vessel for himself!"

"Very wise," the replica said. "But with Xehanort's help, I'll finally get what I want."

"What?" Lea smirked, "To have a heart? Is that it?"

"You wanted the same thing once before," the replica said.

Sora threw his arms down, "Riku...or whatever you are, we don't have the time for this! We have to save Camelot! We're wasting time," Sora said, looking up to the spiraling darkness as the ground shook again, stone structures from the castle crumbling down.

"Now is the only time," the replica said, taking a few steps towards Sora. "You're so worried about the darkness consuming this world when you should be more concerned...about the darkness consuming you, Sora."

"What?" Sora shook his head, confused. "The darkness won't consume me. I don't have any darkness within my heart."

The replica let out a dark laugh, "Of course you do, Sora. All but the seven princesses of light have some amount of darkness in their hearts. Haven't you learned anything?"

Sora held a hand to his heart, "I might...have some darkness in my heart, but not enough for me to be consumed by it! I won't ever be consumed by it! Not when I have my friends."

The replica summoned his Soul Eater blade and chuckled darkly, "And you really think you'll always have your friends by your side no matter what?"

Sora looked back at Donald and Goofy, then Lea and finally to Kairi, who gave him a reassuring nod. "Of course I do."

The replica slowly stepped closer to Sora, dangerously closer. "And what happens when the darkness consumes your heart? What happens when you start hurting them and stop acting like yourself?"

Sora felt a building anger begin to burn within him.

The replica continued, "What happens when your darkness turns you from their best friend into their worst nightmare?"

"Shut up!" Sora charged forth, summoning his Keyblade and clashing with the replica, as their blades met and caused a spark to shoot out as the light and darkness clashed.

Riku laughed to himself and sneered, "Hmph, you do have some darkness in you..."

Sora grunted out, his voice hoarse and angry, almost not sounding at all like himself. "Even if I do, I will NOT let it defeat me! I will overcome it!"

"Like Riku has?" The replica smirked, "Hmph, Sora enough already. You just have to accept the fact that you will never be Riku."

"No, you will never be Riku," Sora said, trying to push his blade back to fend off the puppet of darkness.

The replica laughed at this, "Please, I don't want to be that fool, but...doesn't a part of you just...'loathe' him? Hate him for everything he's done? Maybe things would be entirely different now if he never was pulled into that portal of darkness at the islands?"

"Of course I don't hate him! He's my best friend," Sora defended.

"Is he now?" The replica laughed, "Seems like he's left you behind in the dust. He's off doing some important mission for his Master while you are...what, on a wild goose chase through all the worlds?"

Sora gritted through his teeth, pushing the man back, "I'm playing an important role!"

"And Riku is ultimately more valuable, isn't he?" The replica smiled sweetly, "After all, he's the Keyblade Master...unlike...you."

"SHUT UP!" Sora clashed his blade against the replica's then, grunting out in anger. He breathed heavily, feeling an inner rage set a fire within him, as his blood began to boil.

"Ooh, did I hit a sore spot?" The replica smirked, "You know you hate him for that. He took what was supposed to be your title. After all, you were the Keyblade Wielder first. You fought your way through how many battle with that key...and yet, here you are. Still the delivery boy, doing these stupid errands, while everyone else...actually plays their part."

Sora glared down at the replica who looked exactly like his best friend. Seeing 'something' that looked exactly like Riku say all this stuff to him caused him to grow some animosity towards the actual Riku, even though he know he shouldn't have those feelings - but seeing the likeness of his best friend say all this to him only hurt his heart.

"Because that's all you are, Sora - a doormat."

"SHUT UP!" Sora shouted.

"Sora, stop," Kairi pleaded, trying to pull Sora away from the battle.

The replica chuckled, "You're just a boy that should have never left his island...and now, you've fooled yourself into believing you have a destiny far greater than what you actually are. You're just a fool with a raging darkness in them waiting to be awakened."

Sora grunted out, as Kairi tried to pull him away.

"Not a Keyblade Master now...and you never will be."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Sora shouted again, yanking his arm away from Kairi hard, as he lunged towards the man.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy both shouted.

Just as Sora and Riku's blades had met again, their was nother rumble that shook all of Camelot. Lightning struck from overhead and a huge blast of wind swept through the air, sending leaves flying about. It was as if they were trapped in a cyclone.

"The darkness," Merlin shouted out, pointing up to the dark storm clouds that emerged. He protectively hovered over Arthur.

Sora glared down at the replica, who laughed right in his face.

"I've had enough of this. I just wanted to give you a warning," the replica said, pushing Sora back. "There IS darkness inside of you and you WILL succumb to it."

Sora grunted out, his lip trembling, "No, I will overcome it...Just like Riku!"

The replica smirked, "Yes - but you are NOT him. You can't do what he can. When the darkness arises within you, that's all you'll have. No friends, no Keyblade, no heart - just the consuming...growing...raging darkness inside of you."

"And you'll be the nightmare that you fear you will become."

The replicated Riku vanished then, leaving the friends alone on the drawbridge as the sweeping darkness pushed through. They fought against the strong wind that nearly swept them off their feet. As they looked behind them, they saw the woods begin to chip and break apart, falling into the darkness and disappearing.

"The darkness...it's here!" Arthur shouted, running across the rest of the bridge to Sora.

"We have to find the Keyhole," Donald screamed over the wind.

"Where is it?!" Goofy shouted and pointed upwards to the darkness that swooped over the castle, "Look out!"

The darkness swept downwards towards them, sensing them enter the castle courtyard. The darkness roared, as if alive like some sort of wild beast and pulsed outward. The impulse of darkness caused the castle to shake, as one of the stone towers crumbled apart, falling to the ground.

"Watch out!" Lea yelled, pointing upwards to the falling structure, pushing Merlin and the friends out of the way, as he was hit hard by one of the stone pieces.

"Lea!" Sora and the othes yelled.

'I-I'm okay..." Lea recovered, clutching his head as blood collected in his palm.

The castle began and crumbling apart, pieces of stone and glass flying through the air, as the small pieces of debris began breaking away and disintegrating into the darkness.

Sora lunged to his feet and tried using his Keyblade to fight off the darkness, but it seemed futile.

Arthur looked at the now destroyed castle courtyard and then, he saw it - at the center of the large square, there was a sword in what appeared to be an anvil, settled on top of a stone. Even in the swarming, endless darkness that tore through the castle, the sword stood radiantly, its golden hilt shining brilliantly.

Arthur ran forth towards the stone in an effort to retrieve the weapon to fight off the darkness and save the kingdom. He grasped the golden hilt of the sword and only then, noticed the plaque that was placed on the stone.

"WHOSO PULLETH OUT THIS SWORD OF THIS STONE AND ANVIL  
IS RIGHTWISE KING AND BORN OF CAMELOT"

Arthur firmly grasped the handle, fully believing it wouldn;t even budge an ince, but was surprised when, without any resistance, the sword unsheathed itself fully from the stone and anvil. Arthur stared up at the blade in amazement. From the righteous goodness in his heart and his honor to protect Camelot in its' most dire hour...the blade had chosen him.

Merlin yelled out over the wind, "Arthur, my boy! You pulled the sword from the stone! You are king of Camelot!"

Arthur stared up at the darkness above and swung the sword in the air, trying to fight off the eternal despair that threatened to overcome Camelot.

Sora and his friends watched then as the anvil which the sword was contained in splintered and cracked apart, breaking into a dozen pieces and falling to the ground. There, on the stone, hidden away beneath the anvil...was the Keyhole.

"The Keyhole!" Donald and Goofy both yelled when they saw it.

"Sora, we have to seal it," Kairi yelled.

Sora took Kairi by the hand, running through the courtyard towards the stone, ducking and weaving through the debris and darkness that flowed through the castle grounds. A moment later, they had reached the stone.

"Let's seal it!" Sora said, as he and Kairi raised their Keyblades into the air, but before the energy from the blades could be summoned, Camelot's fate had been sealed.

The darkness shot forth from within the air, as dozenes of Heartless shadows seemed to materialized within the plume of darkness. The darkness rapidly fell to the earth and entered directly into the Keyhole.

Sora's eyes widened, watching as the darkness worked quickly and then, the Keyhole disappeared. "We're...we were too late..."

All fell silent then, as the entire world seemed to freeze in place - not even the darkness moved.

"Huh? What?" Donald said, glancing around the dark world.

"What's happening," Goofy questioned, concerned.

Merlin looked upwards to the sky, "The darkness...has taken Camelot."

A moment later, the ground beneath their feet began cracking and breaking away, as pools of darkness opened up beneath them, threatening to suck them into the endless realm of darkness. The entire world began distorting and becoming morphed by the darkness and then, vanishing without a trace.

"Merlin, you have to get us out of here," Sora shouted, trying to find a solid piece of land to stand on that wasn't yet claimed by the dark.

Merlin nodded, quickly retrieving his wand. It was too late for Camelot, but his friends still needed help. With a tear in his eye as he watched his home be destroyed by the dark, Merlin chanted a spell and he, Arthur, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Lea disappeared in a plume of white smoke, returning back to Radiant Garden and escaping the destruction of Camelot.

The entire world collapsed in on itself as the darkness grew and consumed Camelot in complete darkness, before it had vanished without a trace, disappearing from the realm of light.

Camelot had fallen.

* * *

From the highest tower of the Castle That Never Was, the replicated RIku watched with a dark smile as a star faded from the sky.

* * *

 **The Realm of Darkness - Prydain**

Towards the deepest reaches in the realm of darkness, a destroyed castle stood, crumbled and left to decay in the endles darkness. Even when it was in the realm of light, the place had manifested a great darkness and was rumored to have been overseen by a evil horned king who used the dark arts for his bidding. The life seemed to be drained eternally from the shattered kingdom and only darkness remained.

Though, as the legends say - a small light still exists within the overwhelming darkness.

Mickey, with Keyblade in hand, charged through the ruins of the dark kingdom, taking out any shadows that crossed his path in an endles struggle to return to his friends in the realm of light. As he leapt from structure to structre in the fallen castle, the King had come across a legendary black cauldron, where a fleet of NeoShadows had appeared in a swarm.

'Enough of this endless darkness,' Mickey thought, before a determined glare appeared on his face. Without another moment, he skillfully sliced through the shadow creatures, cutting his way through and clearing a path through. He ran through the castle debris before he reached a wide open path that led to another part of the realm of darkness.

Before he could take another step, he felt the ground beneath his feet rumble and shake. It grew uncontrollably violent to the point where the king fell over to take cover. Mickey ducked down and covered himself, feeling as though the endless trembles would never end. After a long moment, Mickey lifted his head and waved away the debris dust that had collected in the air.

"Huh?" Mickey said, his eyes growing in concern at what he now saw before him - the crumbled debris of a new castle from a different kingdom. The castle had been reduced to a pile of stone.

"Another world has been taken by the darkness," Mickey said, walking a few feet forward towards a new stone that had appeared within the realm. His eyes caught sight of something, a plaque on the stone. The King looked up at the fallen world.

"Camelot?" Mickey said, "Camelot has fallen. What is happening in the outside worlds? I wonder how Sora and Riku are doing..."

"Would you like to pay them a visit?" Xehanort's voice said behind the man.

Mickey turned around, fear and surprise rising within him, "Xehanort!?" The King saw Ansem and Xemnas appear behind the old man and knew that there was no chance that he could take on all three of them by himself. "What are you doin-"

"Let's just cut to the chase, Your Majesty," Xehanort evilly smiled. "We've been searching through this endless darkness for you for quite awhile."

"You're...you're here for me!? What do you want!?" Mickey said, pointing his Keyblade forward.

"Now, now, that won't be necessary," Xehanort said, pushing Mickey's Keyblade down. "Of course, I could always force you to cooperate with me, but...why would I do that when I can just make you instead?"

Ansem and Xemnas went after Mickey then. The King tried to attack either one of them, but in the blink of an eye, the dark figures tightly kept the king in place.

"What are you doing!?" Mickey yelled, dropping his Keyblade, "Let go of me! You won't get away with this, Xehanort!"

"Oh, don't worry, Your Majesty," Xehanort smirked and lifted his Keyblade, "When I'm done with you, you won't remember any of this...for your brain is going to meet a...sudden 'change'."

Mickey glared up at the man, confused, "What are y-"

Without another word, a dark aura emerged from within Xehanort's Keyblade. The dark aura impulsed before leaving the Keyblade and taking the form of a small orb. With his blade, Xehanort directed the dark orb straight into Mickey's forehead, where the orb dissolved and took hold of the King's brain.

Mickey choked out and gasped for air, struggling against the darkness that consumed his brain. He wildly thrashed about and screamed out. Mickey's eyes turned yellow then and his ears became ragged and misshapen. His usual, friendly face twisted and became distorted, more terrifying than even some of the worst Heartless.

Xehanort smiled to himself, watching as the King was transformed into this new being, controlled by the darkness inside of him.

When the act was done, Mickey let out a snarl and shifted his eyes back and forth between Ansem and Xemnas, an evil, almost insane smirk on the King's face.

Xehanort let out a dark chuckle, "Our work here is done. Now, come along, new friend," the man said to this new creature the King had become.

The dark-possessed Mickey nodded and obeyed, trailing behind the three leaders of darkness.

Xehanort smiled, "The King is dead. Long live our new King of Darkness."


	9. Runaway Brain

Hello all, I hope you all are well! I'm sorry it took much longer than expected to release this next installment, but I've been kept busy. This next chapter ended up being so lengthy that I decided to break it up into two chapters, so you'll have both Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 to look forward to with this update! Please read and review and have a great day!

 **Chapter Nine - Runaway Brain**

The tall castle of Maleficent's headquarters - the Villain's Vale, as the residents of Radiant Garden had called it - stood silent on the edge of the darkest depths of the world. The castle's silence, however, would soon be broken, as Maleficent returned to her home, unaware of the intruder that had broken in to her fortress, uninvited.

It was only when she found an apple purposely placed at the foot of the castle that she realized that this intruder was an old friend of hers, one which she hadn't seen in years...and one that she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to see again, either.

Maleficent opened the doors to the fortress with a wave of her hand and stepped into the dark, gloomy hall, as her senses were met with the musty, dark surroundings which she had called home. Seeing that the entrance hall was empty, she scoffed and threw her robes behind her, making her way up to the main lair, where she and her cohorts had usually gathered.

It was when she had entered the lair, she had come face to face with the infiltrator of her castle...and her old friend - the Evil Queen.

The Queen turned from the magic mirror which she had placed on the chamber wall and smiled deviously when she saw the woman, "Ah, Maleficent. I was wondering when you would return. How good it is to see you again."

"What are you doing here?" Maleficent questioned, moving towards the woman, "I don't recall sending an invitation, Your Majesty."

The Queen laughed to herself, "Now, dear. Was an invitation really necessary? You and I both know that you're happy to see me. After all, I'm...your only true friend."

Maleficent scoffed, "Hmph, some friend...How long has it been since we'd last met one another?"

"At least a decade, I believe." The Queen smirked and moved over to one of the leather couches, where she lounged back, her robes spreading out around her. "And not much has changed. I'm still just as fair as ever and you are, well,...wasting away here and doing what again?"

Maleficent shook her head in annoyance, but gave a sickeningly sweet smile to the Queen. "You're right, it has been a decade. Wasn't the last time we'd met just shortly before you poisoned that precious flake of snow with that apple...only to be awakened by something as trivial as true love's kiss," the witch said, tossing the apple in her hand back to her friend.

The Queen caught the apple and let out a dark chuckle to herself, "You're right, it was. In fact, it was at the very same time in which that sleeping beauty got the best of you and had a true love's kiss of her own." The Queen smirked, "I thought we were past trying to outwit one another, my dear Maleficent."

Maleficent sneered and walked towards the wall, "So, then why are you here exactly?"

"Oh, out of friendly concern, of course. Why else?" The ueen said, "I can see you're not quite yourself. A bit worn down, yes? Not quite the Maleficent I remember."

Maleficent turned to look away and then noticed the mirror that the Queen had placed on the wall. "You've been spying on me, haven't you? Using your mirror to see across the worlds."

The Queen smiled sweetly, "I don't know what you mean."

Maleficent scoffed, "Oh, please. I know your powers more than anybody. Your magic mirror can see throughout all the realms - to see all that is happening and all that has happened. What business do you have spying on me?"

The Queen stood from the couch then and tossed her robes behind her, where she made her way to stand in front of the mirror with her old friend. She looked to Maleficent, "My dear, it's as I've said. I'm the only friend you have, truly. Don't you want someone in your corner? Someone who can be just as dark and malevolently evil as you?"

Maleficent turned to her friend, "I...don't know, but I know I don't want it to be you."

The Queen smirked, "Well, then, who then? The one-handed pirate? The pompous cat? The idiot hunter? That's who you've rallied together to form your new team? You believe these useless misfits will accomplish what you want? Where are they off to now? Retrieving some data to control some silly worlds in a journal? Hmph, what a foolish plan."

Maleficent turned to her friend, angered but with honestly in her voice, "It was a foolish plan! You've been spying on me this whole time and you still don't understand? I never wanted that foolish data! I sent them away to that idiotic DIsney Castle so that they wouldn't realize what I was really going after!"

The Queen raised her eyebrows, curious, "And you'd be willing to give up your conquest to take over the worlds for this...thing you've lost?"

"Yes," Maleficent bowed her head and closed her eyes, feeling a heaviness in her heart. "It was only recently that I discovered what had been lost to me might be able to be returned. "

The Queen scoffed and turned from the mirror, "And so, you'd just toss away all the plans you've worked on over time? All the darkness you've cultivated in your heart? Just to pursue what you've lost? Hmph."

Maleficent frowned and turned to her friend, "There's far more to the story than you understand."

"Finally something we can agree on." The Queen smirked and moved close to Maleficent, "So...just exactly what was lost to you?"

"No," Maleficent simply replied back. "That's no concern of yours."

"Very well then, but my mirror can very quickly reveal the truth should I ever need it," the Queen smirked and went to stand behind Maleficent. "You've let this emptiness fill your heart and tear you down, Maleficent."

Maleficent turned to look at her reflection in the mirror, the Queen looming behind her like a dark shadow. "I...know."

"Look at you, much unlike the Maleficent I remember." The Queen spoke out to Maleficent's reflection, "That woman there is weak...spineless, one who'd willingly be trampled over. What happened to Maleficent who cursed a newborn because she wasn't invited to a celebration? Or the Maleficent that destroyed entire worlds with the darkness she possessed?" The Queen placed her hands on Maleficent's shoulders, "You've lost your fire, Maleficent...and it's time to get it back. That's why I'm here."

Maleficent turned to her friend and sneered, "I don't need your help!"

The Queen pulled back and turned away, her robes trailing behind her. "Very well, then. If you change your mind, you'll know where to find me - back at 'our' kingdom."

Maleficent eyebrows furrowed in question, "Our kingdom? What do you mean 'our kingdom'?"

"Oh? So, you haven't returned to the Enchanted Dominion since its' been restored to the realm of light, have you? Hmph, well..."

"What is it? What's happened?" Maleficent asked.

The Queen smirked and leaned dangerously closer towards Maleficent, "Things have changed in our worlds...radically." She turned to make her way from her friend and towards the exit of the room, "Shortly before your darkness had caused our worlds to fall, I had escaped and found myself in the most unusual, little town. Once I'd heard our worlds had been restored to the realm of light, well, something quite unusual must have happened to them upon returning from the realm of darkness..."

Maleficent continued to ask, "What's become of them?"

The Queen turned back and smiled, "You know where to find your kingdom, but now, it happens...to be shared with mine."

Maleficent tilted her head, confused.

"You'll find out soon enough," the Queen said and turned from Maleficent. "I expect to see you soon, dear. I know you'll need me whether you can see it clearly now or not."

"And how can you be so sure," the witch's eyes followed the queen as she left.

"Because, dear..." the Queen smiled. "I'm your only friend. We are both well-aversed in the darkness and the curses the dark has wrought upon us, but a lifetime of lonliness...that's the worst curse imaginable."

The Queen left Maleficent behind, alone in the empty chamber with her hollow heart.

* * *

Silence filled Merlin's house, as Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea and, now with Merlin and Arthur also in tow, returned to Radiant Garden just a matter of moments before the entire kingdom of Camelot fell to the darkness. Scattered along the wooden floor of the chamber, the team recovered, feeling as if the wind was knocked out of them. The room spun around them and their vision was hazy from the narrow escape.

They remained quiet in Melin's how empty house, as they contemplated what had just happened. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before, actually watching a world be swallowed by the darkness.

They had always managed to save the worlds, even in their most dire moments. They had always repelled the darkness away and found the Keyhole, but now, the air in the house felt heavier, as sad and solemn expressions flashed across each of their faces when they thought about the demise and destruction of Merlin and Arthur's home.

"We failed," Sora said, lowering his head. "We actually failed."

"Doesn't tend to happen very often, huh," Lea said, shaking his head, a sad expression on his face.

"I can't believe this," Donald said, giving a heavy sigh out.

"We didn't make it in time," Goofy said, a frown on his face. "Gawrsh, we watched that Keyhole get destroyed by the Heartless...and there wasn't anything we could do to stop it. Poor Camelot..."

Kairi stood up and brushed off her skirt, "But if the darkness is destroyed and we manage to stop Xehanort, then all the worlds should be restored, right? The realm of darkness shouldn't exist anymore if the darkness was vanquished. Camelot should be restored, just like our islands were, Sora."

Merlin lifted his fingers to his chin as he thought, a strong sadness overcoming his heart over the fate of his home world. "Defeating Xehanort is one thing, but...to defeat the darkness...permanently? I believe in the strong power of the light, but to be rid of the darkness forever...it seems like an impossible feat. The darkness has spread too far...it's affected...so many worlds.

Kairi thought for a moment, "But...there was a time when the light existed in the world without the darkness..."

Sora turned to her, "Hm?"

"My grandmother's story," Kairi said, turning to him. "The one she always used to tell me as a kid. 'Everyone loved the light. Then, people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many peoples' hearts. It covered everything and the world disappeared..."

"Oh, right," Sora said. "I remember."

"But the true light sleeps deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other," Kairi finished. "But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open...and the true light will return'. It's a story she used to tell me all the time as a kid."

"Gawrsh, Kairi," Goofy began, "Your grandmother knew an awful lot about the light and darkness."

Donald went on, "And what happened to the world!"

Kairi nodded, "She must have heard a lot of tales in her time about the creation of the light and darkness and the Keyblade War..." She thought to herself back to her grandmother's words and in her heart, she knew that there was a deeper connection there that she had yet to uncover. But she knew that she would, someday.

Lea sighed and rubbed a hand through his red hair, "So, long story short, if we defeat Master Baldenort, it won't return the worlds lost, but...if we find a way to destroy the darkness, it...will?"

"Something like that," Sora sighed and shrugged, feeling at a loss about many things now, his mind traversing through all that had happened and all that was yet to happen. He felt like he was up against a goal far greater than one he could ever achieve - no matter how many friends or how much light stood behind him.

He snapped out of it then and thought to himself, 'Come on, Sora. Get a hold of yourself. Whatever happened to 'My friends are my power'...'

Even as he tried to convince himself that everything was going to be okay, the loss of Camelot, the mounting darkness and Xehanort's powerful army instilled a sense of foreboding failure within him.

There was much more beneath the surface that had frightened him, as well. The darkness within him...or at least what he thought _could_ be darkness.

He never thought that there could be any sort of darkness, no matter how small in his heart - after all, he was a Keyblade wielder that possessed the power of the light. He had saved the worlds from the darkness more than once and always fought to protect the light...but standing there in Camelot, facing the 'other Riku' that taunted him, he felt a seering burn inside of him...almost like hatred, but something far more intense.

If it was darkness in his heart, he couldn't say, but it terrified him.

Sora turned to notice Arthur then in the corner of the room, who had remained quiet throughout most of the aftermath of the destruction of Camelot. He could imagine that the young boy probably felt just as conflicted and uncertain of the future as he did.

He slowly approached Arthur, "Hey...are you...okay?"

Arthur sighed and shrugged, looking down at the newly-acquired blade of Excalibur in his hands. "I...I don't know. Merlin and I are safe, so that's what's important, but...Camelot..." He gripped the golden handle of the sword tighter, "All I wanted was to protect my kingdom...I acquired this blade, but...then my whole world fell apart. I might be the 'king', but...I'm not really the king of anything..."

Sora sighed and nodded, "I know how you feel. It wasn't too long ago when...I was living at my home, my islands, with my family and friends...and everything was just...'normal', but...the darkness came to my home, too. It took over and was destroyed...just like Camelot."

Arthur frowned and nodded, "I guess...the two of us walk down very similar paths."

"Yeah," Sora said, looking down. In his hand was the Keyblade, while in Arthur's, the sword of Excalibur. Two blades that had chosen their wielders and would unlock a great destiny for the both of them at a very young age.

Sora realized then that Arthur, the young boy in front of him, was very much just like himself - a young boy thrust into a different world when his home was destroyed, unsure of what to do or where to go after everything he had always known was taken away from it...with only a blade at his disposal.

'And the cycle of darkness repeats itself,' Sora thought to himself about the former destruction of his home and now Arthur's, knowing that history truly did have an uncanny way of repeating itself.

"What did you do?" Arthur asked, "After your home was destroyed?"

Sora leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms, "Well, with the Keyblade, I knew it had some purpose coming to me when my home was destroyed. I found myself in new worlds, making new friends...it wasn't too long before I met Donald and Goofy and we went on all sorts of adventures together. I just...tried to find a way to do what I could to help others from facing the same fate I did...and I hoped that my home would be restored one day."

"And it was," Arthur nodded.

"It was," Sora confirmed. "Maybe that's what needed of you. Maybe...this is just the start of your own adventure."

"I suppose so. I guess...I'll just have to find a way to continuing living on here. With Merlin, too," Arthur gave a small smile, "Thank you, Sora."

"Of course," Sora said. "We're all friends here."

"Yepp! We'd help ya out no matter what," Goofy intervened into the conversation.

"And we're always here for ya," Donald added. "At least til we can get you back home!"

Arthur gave a small chuckle, "Thank you, everyone."

The new king realized that, just as Sora said, the best thing he could do now was try to live on the best he could - make new friends, explore new places and fight against the force that had taken his home, just as Sora had and maybe when all was finished, he would have a home to return to.

A home where he would be king.

* * *

Xehanort walked down the long grey hall to the gathering chamber at the western end of the Castle That Never Was. Trailing behind him was Ansem, Seeker of Darkness and Xemnas, who kept Mickey within their grasps, as the corrupted King was bound and tied by dark chains surrounding his small body. The corrupted King's face had turned darker, almost grey, as if the air was being taken from his lungs. His ears were torn and his eyes had turned blood-shot and red.

The King let out an animalistic snarl, drool falling from his mouth and he began to chuckle in a dark, insane manner. The King was pulled harshly by the chains as Ansem and Xemnas dragged him away, following behind their Master.

The castle was filled with the spine-tingling snarls and howls of the corrupted King, as the blood-curdling noises echoed down through all the halls.

Master Xehanort had arrived in the large gathering chamber along with the other three, where the replicated Riku was on the far side of the room leaning up against the wall, Braig was carelessly laid back in one of the grey seats in the sitting area and Vanitas was staring down at the dark city below out of the large glass atrium windows.

Braig leaned up when he saw Xehanort and the others walk through, staring at the dark King once he had saw him, "What the hell happened to him?"

Vanitas and the replica turned to look at their leader with the corrupted enemy. "The king," Vanitas spoke out.

"He is an enemy no more," Xehanort said with a dark smirk. "Now, with his brain corrupted by darkness, he is an ally to us. We will use him as a pawn to spread darkness and destruction to as many worlds as he can reach."

"A bit fiesty, isn't he?" Braig said, watching the King attempt to thrash about and break free. "Can he be controlled?" The one-eyed man said, reaching out towards the King, but instinctly pulled back when Mickey's sharp teeth tried to take a bite out of him. Braig let out a small smirk and chuckled at the King's wicked and violent nature.

"Hmm, certainly he can be," Xehanort said, turning to the King. "With the darkness circling around and through his mind, I'm sure I can reach far enough into that darkness to bend him to my will."

Vanitas smirked and crossed his arms, "I would certainly enjoy watching him tear apart the worlds he'd tried to protect."

"In due time," Xehanort said and turned to the one-eyed vessel, "Braig, see to it that our new ally finds himself comfortable sealed away in his proper confinement."

"Certainly, mister Master," Braig said, taking the dark chains from Ansem and Xemnas, leading the thrashing King out of the meeting chamber. As the King wildly shrieked and struggled against the chains, snarling and howling, Braig pulled harder on the chains, dragging the King away. "Come on, Your Majesty! I'm sure you'll enjoy your new digs."

Braig made his way off with the incapacitated, howling King.

Xehanort turned back to the other vessels before him - Ansem, Xemnas, Vanitas and the replicated Riku. "With the King in our grasps, we'll be able to turn the tide against the heroes with one of their own. Sora, too, eventually. It would certainly demoralize them and bend then to our will."

"But Master..." Ansem interrupted, "What purpose do you have in prolonging the Keyblade War? Why toy around with the 'heroes of light' instead of letting them gather and commencing the war."

"Even should something...'tragic' happen to one of the seven lights, a new one will have to rise in their place," Xehanort explained. "But...the war cannot begin until the last chess piece of the game is placed on the board...Ventus."

Vanitas sneered out and turned his head away, "Hmph."

"He's locked away somewhere deep within Castle Oblivion, somewhere only the girl Keyblade Master knows..." Xehanort turned from them and thought back to his attempts at finding the hidden chamber and the lost boy. "I've sent the version of myself - Terra's possessed body - to try and find the chamber somewhere in the castle. If it's that piece of Terra's heart still inside of my vessel, perhaps it will lead him towards Ventus'."

"The Chamber of Waking," Xemnas mused. "While some of my original Organization XIII members had staked claim over Castle Oblivion for our own purposes, we were entirely unaware of the chamber's placement within the castle."

The replicated Riku shook his head, "I've scoured the many levels of the castle and found nothing like a secret chamber."

"Terra's body has not found it yet, but perhaps...I have another use for him," Xehanort turned back to them and smirked. "The girl - her light shines strongly for him unlike any light I'd seen shared between two people. The strength of that light is what I will use against her."

"What are you talking about, old man," Vanitas mumbled back to his leader.

Xehanort smiled and continued, "Aqua's concern and care for Terra is too strong. Should the version of myself within Terra's body pay her a visit...we could use her feelings for Terra to our advantage."

"You're talking about a vessel of yourself, Master," Vanitas said. "What makes you think she won't fight him and kill him while she has the chance?"

Xehanort smiled, "Simply, Aqua is too good, too misguided by her own belief in hope and the light. Even after they'd fought before, she risked her own safety to save Terra's body from the realm of darkness and sacrificed her own. She wouldn't kill him...even if she desired to."

Ansem asked, "Then, what's the plan for this Aqua?"

"We find where she is and direct Terra's body, my vessel, to her. We use my vessel as a way for Terra to reach out to Aqua, get her to believe in him, try to pull him from the darkness and back into the light and then, "Xehanort smirked, "...we destroy that light."

Xemnas averted his gaze and frowned, hearing the Master's plan.

"We'll ruin and corrupt whatever light has been built between Terra and Aqua, just like the King's brain," Xehanort finished.

"And Terra's body, it is at Castle Oblivion now?" Xemnas asked.

"Yes," Xehanort answered. "We must retrieve him back to us so that we may send him after Aqua - to destroy what is left between them."

"Allow me to find him," Xemnas said and bowed.

"Very well," Xehanort nodded. "Aqua is too noble for her own good. She'd risk anything to save her friends. Though, if Terra or the King's safety was at stake...perhaps that will force her hand and show us the way to Ventus...That is why it is so important we keep Terra's body and the King from escaping our grasps."

Braig barged into the room, "THE KING'S ESCAPED!"

"WHAT!?" Xehanort turned and snapped at the vessel, walking slowly up to the man.

"You see, Master, um, well...I was taking the King away, when...oopsy-daisy, the King broke from his chains and attacked," Braig said, pointing to the bloodied claw mark beneath his one good eye. He continued, panting heavily, "I tried putting up a fight, but he's too strong. He's uncontrollable! He's...he's...a monster! I couldn't stop him fro-"

Braig's sentence was cut off as Xehanort hit him hard across the face, sending the man to the floor in a heap. Braig's vision blurred in his one good eye as his face stung from the pain. He lifted his head and held his face, "What the hell, old coot?!"

"You know better than to fail me." Uncaringly turning from the fallen man, Xehanort thought as he spoke out loud, "His mind is corrupted by darkness, but his heart is stronger...It's fighting and clashing against the darkness I've put in his brain...making him act...uncontrollable."

Ansem turned to his Master, "What should we do?"

He looked at Ansem, "Find the King!"

Ansem nodded and took off through the castle, followed closely behind by Xehanort.

Without another word exchanged between himself and the other vessels, Xemnas disappeared through a corridor of darkness to Castle Oblivion to find Terra's possessed body, leaving Vanitas, the replicated Riku and the recovering Braig alone in the gathering chamber.

Braig grunted and lifted himself up to his feet, "Damn Xehanort..." Without another word, he left the chamber, feeling mostly embarrassed by the way the King and Xehanort both got the best of him within a matter of minutes.

Vanitas and the replica stood in the chamber for a moment before the masked boy spoke, "Whether or not the King remains under Xehanort's influence doesn't matter, he's set his playing pieces so far ahead in advance, regardless of what happens, he'll find the outlet that will give him the upper hand."

"How could he have arranged everything so far in advance?" The replica asked and turned to the other dark being, "How could he really know what was to come?"

Vanitas smirked, "He has a Keyblade...one with an all-seeing eye that retains the past, observes the present...and gazes into the future. Surely you've seen him staring into it before?"

"Now that you mention it, I have...I just never realized the power of that Keyblade...wait, the future?" The replica asked, "He can see into the future? Then...wouldn't he know already what happens? To him...to all of us?"

"Hmm, you really don't understand," Vanitas leaned back against one of the walls and crossed his arms. "From what he's told me, he sees...images. Things that will happen...or things that...may happen...and without knowing the future down to its' precise detail it's impossible for him to distinguish it."

The replica placed a finger on his chin and thought out loud, "Then, whatever he's planned for the future...may not be entirely reliable, either."

"No, but he's still planned for any alternative accidents that might happen to be corrected," Vanitas replied simply. "What? Do you doubt the Master and what he's planned?"

The replica remained silent and turned his head away.

"You do," Vanitas said.

"I don't doubt what he's planned...I doubt what he can offer," the replica replied honestly. "The only reason why I joined was because...I was offered to receive a heart of my own if I helped him, but..."

"You don't know if he can fulfill his end of the bargain," Vanitas finished. "Sadly, I cannot say, either. Hmph, at least you're walking away with a part of his heart..."

"But I don't want a piece of his heart! I want a heart of my own." The replica clenched his fist, "I want to be my own person, not just...an extract of somebody else."

"That's a feeling I know all too well," Vanitas then straightened his posture, his interest piqued. "I wouldn't even exist if not for Xehanort - he created me, pulled me right from Ventus' heart. The darkness...that's all I am. Much like you, I was never meant to exist on my own...and instead, was taken from someone else."

"And that's what you want, too? To be your own person," the replica asked.

"Not just that." Vanitas sneered, a sense of bitter entitlement in his voice, "I want my original destroyed. Ventus - I want him erased from existence. I want to be the only one of the two of us to live on after this war, so that I would have the life he had - the life I _deserved_. And he, hmph,...he would be nothing."

"It will only be a matter of time before the seven lights are gathered and the boy is awoken," the replica said.

Vanitas smirked, "And when he is, after this war begins and Xehanort retrieves the X-Blade, I will deal with Ventus personally...and I'll make sure he doesn't live to see what waits beyond in the new world order Xehanort will create." The masked boy wordlessly turned from the replica and began to exit the chamber. He stopped and turned his face to look over his shoulder at the other vessel, "And what about you? Say you managed to find a heart of your own? What would you do then?"

"I don't know...I haven't really thought about it," the replica said. "I'd...probably just find someplace where I could be happy...someplace where I felt like I belonged."

"Hmph, such simple desires," Vanitas smirked, a dark smile growing underneath his mask. "And what if you don't get a heart? What if he can't really do what he's promised you?"

The replica shifted his eyes down, knowing that a part of him, even as a vessel, did not trust his leader, but in a desperate attempt to retrieve a heart - the most significant piece to identify someone as being their own self - he would do anything for that. Even follow false hope.

"If Xehanort had lied to me, I'd...leave the Organization behind and would want no part in any of this."

"You'd turn your back on the Organization?" Vanitas questioned.

"I'm only here because I was promised something in return." The replica defended, "If I don't get what I want, I have no reason to stay. Of course I would leave."

Vanitas quietly chuckled and began walking down the hall, "Hmph, Xehanort wouldn't allow that for any vessel. That would be a dangerous mistake, indeed."

The replica was left on his own after the masked boy left him behind. He felt an empitness, a pit in his stomach, begin to form. He knew then, he shouldn't have placed so much trust in his Master and was uncertain if leaving the past Castle Oblivion with the young Xehanort vessel was the right decision in the long run.

It would be only a short matter of time before his questions were answered and his destiny was forged.

Until then, the deep emptiness of having no heart of his own and wanting to feel things as his own person would burn through his chest.

* * *

Prowling through the dark streets of the World That Never Was, the corrupted King moved like a savage animal. He leapt, almost galloped, through the streets and away from the castle where his captors had just been clued in to his escape. He insanely giggled to himself as he scurried through the streets on a mad rampage.

Above, looming behind the tall skyscraper buildings of the lost world, the former Organization's artificial Kingdom Hearts stood, destroyed and floating as if like a moon in the sky. Upon seeing the heart-shaped moon, the King darkly chuckled to himself and took off down the dark alleys of the streets, as a portal of darkness appeared deep within the city's streets.

An animalistic howl echoed through the dark city's alleyways as the runaway, wild King found the dark portal and lunged inward. The King was pulled through and taken away from the empty world, closing the portal just as Xehanort and his vessels began their search for him.

* * *

In the dark chambers of her castle, Maleficent rested back in her throne. She securely held onto her staff and on the mystical orb above, her raven sat. She gently stroked her pale hand over the raven's feathers, deep in thought. She thought of her encounter with the Queen and the helping hand she was offered to reclaim some of the fire and power within her that had recently become lost to her.

She thought of her encounter with the young vessel of Xehanort and his inability to help her go back in time to fix a part of her past, not that he would have agreed to help her, regardless.

She reached within her robes and retrieved the fragmented heart which she had kept hidden away from the outside world - a part of someone's heart she'd tried so desperately to save. Looking over the broken piece of the heart, she recalled the memories of years prior which had ended with the broken heart in her hand and what ultimately led her down the path of darkness.

She was drawn out of her thoughts when she heard the echoing of the castle's door opening traveling through the castle. She quickly placed the fractured heart back in the confines of her robe, just as Hades, Hook, Cruella and Gaston appeared through the castle's door.

"You've returned," Maleficent said, looking up at the four.

"Yes, but unsuccessfuly," Gaston said with an ounce of shame and disappointment over his failure in his voice.

Hook continued, "Indeed, those bloody heroes got the best of us again, I'm afraid."

Maleficent averted her gaze from the four and stared off into the corner of the chamber, "What happened at Disney Castle?"

"It's like Jimmy said, Mal," Cruella said, fluffing up her coat. "The blasted three heroes stopped us before we could even search for the data."

"Sora and his two accomplices," Maleficent questioned.

"No, two who have faces us in the past...Riku and Aqua," Hades said. "This time, with the help of the powerful sorcerer, Yen Sid."

Maleficent closed her eyes and bowed her head, "Hm, I'm not surprised you did not succeed against the powerful sorcerer."

"Yes, the blasted sorcerer's light overpowered us and forced us from the castle," Hook said.

"What happened to Pete," Maleficent asked.

"Oaf?" Cruella scoffed and let out a laugh, "He decided to throw a wrench in our plans all for a reunion with his dear sonny boy."

"Pete is no longer a part of our team," Gaston said. "Good riddance. It's high time we've gotten rid of the dead-weight dragging our team down. Now, we can pursue our real efforts of obtaining the darkness to get exactly what we want."

Cruella continued, "The wretched rat of that kingdom informed us that she'd hidden the data and the journals away. Perhaps if you return with us, we can gain the upperhand and really show them a hell of a time if they refuse to turn them over?"

"No," Maleficent said. "That's not necessary. There's no need to return to that kingdom."

"What now?" Cruella said, a look of surprise on her face.

"What about the blasted data and the journals?" Hook asked, "Your plan to control the worlds with them?"

"Disregard those plans," Maleficent said, simply. "Things have...changed."

"What?" Hades asked. "What are you talking about? But...we failed. The Maleficent I know would have burnt this place to the ground had any of us returned unsuccessful in the past."

"As I've said, things have changed," Maleficent replied.

"What about us then?" Gaston replied, a stern and angry tone in his voice. "You said that we would work together to channel the darkness to use it to get what we desired. Are you going back on our plans?"

Maleficent sighed and rested back, "For the time being. I need time...to get my thoughts together and think of a new plan to get what I want..."

"What about what we want?" Gaston defended, anger in his voice as he clenched his jaw.

"Oh, shut up, will you?" Cruella said, before exchanging a secret glance to Hook, "I'm already working on getting what I want, but don't try to fool the rest of us. You don't care about what we want, only yourself."

"Clearly and for good reason, too," Gaston said, looking between the other villains as their group slowly began to break apart. "We were supposed to be a team. What the hell do you expect me to do now?"

"What do I care?" Maleficent said, waving off the group and dismissing them. "If you want so badly to use the darkness to get what you wish, then go and take it yourself. I have no help to offer to someone with the mental capacity such as yourself."

Gaston scoffed and sneered through his teeth, "Very well. I don't need any of your help anyway. You'd just end up ruining my plans."

"Probably," Cruella shrugged.

Gaston sneered, "I will use the darkness to get Belle to be mine! And I'll do it without anyone's help!"

"Okay," Cruella said.

Gaston continued, "And I'll destroy anything in my path that tries to stop me!"

"Okaaaay," Cruella said again, rolling her eyes in agitation before carelessly waving him off.

Gaston huffed up before stomping out of the castle chamber.

"Where do you suppose he's off to," Hook asked.

Cruella sighed, "I don't care, he's a moron."

"Well then, what do we do now? What about us?" Hook continued.

Cruella moaned and dipped her figure to the side, making sure her coat fell down her bare arm to offer the pirate captain a glimpse of her skin. "Mmm, finally something worth talking about. I do owe you a drink, don't I? I'm sure we'd have a lot of time to talk about... _us_."

"Sounds lovely," Hook said, taking Cruella's arm in his own as the two left the chamber.

Hades, now left alone in the chamber with Maleficent, turned back to the throne where the witch sat, a look of curiosity on the Lord of the Dead's face. "Pardon the pun, but what the hell's happened to you?"

"Hades..." Maleficent said, astonished, looking up at the god.

"Really, Maleficent," Hades continued. "You send us away on a mission like you make it out to be of utmost importance, then you don't care when we've returned empty-handed? Then, you let your team fall apart when all your plans that we've been making all this time just...what, don't matter anymore? Come on, Mal. Get a grip."

Maleficent closed her eyes and sighed, "Hades, you wouldn't understand."

Hades slowly approached her and took the horned-witch's hand within his own, "Then, help me."

Maleficent cautiously pulled her hand back away from the god, feeling uncomfortable with his close presence to her now. She stood up from her throne and pushed his way past him to give herself some space to breathe. "Hades, you still don't realize...Yes, a short while ago, when Pete and I were transferred into the journal, I HAD wanted the power of the journal in my possession to control the worlds within..."

"Okay, crystal clear." Hades said, shrugging his shoulders, "But now, what? You changed your plans? You don't care about taking over the worlds anymore? After all the years we'd worked together?"

"I...don't," Maleficent replied honestly.

Hades scoffed, "So, you...sent us all on a mission just to get us away from you while you sought out what you were really after? You just wanted to keep us distracted!?"

Maleficent bowed her head, "Yes, Hades."

The Lord of the Dead scoffed and crossed his arms, his yellow eyes growing in anger, "You were just using us to further your own goal. What the hell changed your plans?"

Maleficent bowed her head and turned back to look at the god. She sighed, trying to keep her desires as vague as she could as not to let Hades or anyone else know of what she was truly after. "I'd realized...something that was lost to me years ago...wasn't as lost as I'd thought. I'd went to a young man, who I thought could help me. Even though he couldn't, there...there still might be a way to retrieve what was lost. I just hadn't realized it sooner."

Hades stood silent as he listened to the witch.

Maleficent sighed, "If I had known, then maybe I wouldn't have steeped myself into the darkness as much as I had."

"I really don't know anything about you, Maleficent. Look at what you've become...so much fire lost within you," Hades said, disappointed and angered. "What was lost to you?"

Maleficent remained silent after Hades had asked his question.

The Lord of the Dead laughed to himself, "Oh, is that how we're going to do this? Hmph, fine, fine, fine. You can remain as illusive as you want. It's cool, I get it...but you can't keep the past a secret forever...I will find out what you're hiding from us."

"We shall see," Maleficent replied.

Hades smirked at the challenge and moved in too close to Maleficent's face, "And once I realized what it is you're after, I'll destroy it...permanently."

Maleficent's face flattened, showing no emotion to the Lord of the Dead's threat.

Hades continued, "I'll take the very thing that brought you down the path of darkness...and destroy it forever, sending you even further into the darkness so that you'll be the Mistress of All Evil that I remember you as."

He smiled at his threat, knowing that one way or another, if there was something he wanted - he would get it, and now, it was Maleficent broken...and belonging to him, so that he could finally have someone just as dark and twisted as him to rule in the Underworld alongside him as a partner, but more importantly, someone who could fill Hades' heart with something other than emptiness and decay.

He gently brought his hand up to Maleficent's face, brushing her cheek with a predatory stare in his eyes. "And once all is finished, you _will_ choose to be mine - not because you'll _have_ to, but because you'll _want_ to."

Maleficent stared down the man, a defiant glimmer in her eyes, as she felt something other than darkness and emptiness stir within her heart - a hatred for him, a hatred for one of her very own allies to the dark.

And maybe, the beginning of her hatred for the darkness, itself.

* * *

Now vanquished of the darkness that threatened to take over her castle, Queen Minnie sighed, relieved that the Heartless had been vanquished and that, by a strange turn of events, Pete, who was always an opposing enemy to the King and Queen because of all of his dastardly antics, had managed to have a change of heart to be there for his son and had undid the harm that he had caused.

In the Hall of the Cornerstone, Queen Minnie and Daisy observed the glimmering orb of the Cornerstone of Light, as it radianly glowed at the heart of the castle.

Daisy turned from the orb and looked at Minnie, "Everything seems okay. The Cornerstone of Light is unharmed and the castle is secure. The brooms have swept through every room of the castle and not a Heartless was in sight."

"Very good," Queen Minnie said with a small smile, one that she had tried to mask the concern in her eyes. "That takes care of that."

Pete nervously peaked out from behind the Cornerstone of Light as his son and Max stood a short distance behind him. "Geez, uh, gosh Queen Minnie, sorry again fer everything. I done goofed up this time."

"Oh, it's okay, Pete. Even though you did play a part in putting the castle in danger and I can't say I'm too happy about that, you came back to the castle to help us. I forgive you, Pete," the Queen smiled and nodded. She knew he wasn't truly a bad person, often misguided and one that enjoyed dabbling a little bit further into mischief than he should, but certainly not someone bad. She playfully wagged her finger at him, a serious but playful glint in her eyes, "Just promise you won't do anything so foolish again or I'll come after you myself!"

Pete shook his hands in front of him in defense, "No no no! I won't be doin' nothin' sneaky from now on! I promise! You can trust me."

"I'm proud of you, dad," Pete's son said to him.

Minnie turned her attention behind her, where Riku, Aqua and Yen Sid entered the audience chamber coming from the library. She walked up to the three, "Oh, and thank you, all of you, for your help in saving the castle from those villains and the Heartless!"

"Of course, Your Majesty," Aqua said and smiled at the queen.

"It's good to see you again, Aqua," the queen said, walking forward to embrace the friend she had met years before. "Mickey's told me all about your time together and that he and Riku were going to rescue you from the realm of darkness. It makes me so happy to see that you're back!"

"Yes, well..." Aqua said, shifting her gaze downward as she thought about the fate of the king.

"What's the matter," Queen Minnie asked, a slight tone of concern in her voice.

Riku sighed and walked up to Aqua and Minnie, "It's the King, Your Majesty."

"Mickey? Is he alright?" The Queen asked, frowning and her eyes growing with concern, "Where is he? Shouldn't he be with you?"

Aqua and Riku exchanged quick glances between one another, not entirely sure of how to break the news of Mickey's fate to his beloved. Thankfully, Master Yen Sid spoke before either of them had to.

Yen Sid stepped forward and closed his eyes as he sighed, "Mickey has been lost to us...lost to the realm of darkness."

"What?" Minnie said, sadness growing across her face as her heart hurt when she thought about what had happened to her love. She placed a hand over her heart.

Riku sighed and continued, "When we went to save Aqua, we ran into some trouble...and Mickey ended up falling further into the darkness...to places we don't know..."

Minnie lowered her head, "Oh, my poor Mickey..."

Aqua sighed and took Minnie's hand, "He sacrificed himself to save me from falling back into the darkness again and for that, I promise that I'll get the King back to you, Your Majesty."

Riku nodded and looked at Aqua and the queen, "I'll help, too."

Yen Sid closed his eyes, "It's the matter of finding the King that is the most worrisome to me. You and Aqua had barely been able to escape from the dark realm with Ansem. Mickey has fallen even deeper into the darkness. To venture further down into the endless void would be a reckless choice to make."

"Well, what are we supposed to do then?" Riku sighed and crossed his arms, "While we're up here and Sora's off with the others gathering the princesses, Mickey's still trapped down there. And if it's in unreached parts of the realm of darkness, wouldn't he be in even more danger?"

Aqua turned to the queen and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We've got to get him back," Riku concluded. "Even if it means returning to that place."

There was a loud noise that echoed through the castle then. coming from the grand hall above the chamber where the Cornerstone of Light was kept. It sounded like a heavy door rolling open, scraping harshly against the ground and slamming violently against the wall. The noise caused the small group to turn towards the entrance of the chamber to find the source of the sound.

Pete stepped out in front of his son and Max, "What was that?"

"More Heartless," Riku questioned.

"No, I made sure all the Heartless were vanquished," Daisy said.

"What could it be?" Minnie said, looking up to Aqua in concern.

They then heard a ferocious growl, unlike any sort of Heartless creature any of them had ever heard before. It was wild and uncontrollable, causing a shiver to shoot down their spine. Another howl echoed through the castle hall, followed by an insane-sounding dark giggle.

Riku summoned his Keyblade, "What ever it is, it doesn't sound good..."

The team turned their attention towards the large doorway that led into the chamber and waited in anxious silence as the snarls and growls from the creature drew closer. To their surprise, there was no Heartless creature that prowled through, nor some terrifying creature as they were expecting, but rather...Mickey, standing in the shadows of the doorway.

"Mickey," Riku looked at the King, his eyes wide with surprise. "You're back?!"

"How did you find a way to escape?" Aqua asked wondrously.

Mickey remained silent, staring at the group ahead of them with a blank, emotionless stare.

"Oh, Mickey! I missed you," the queen said, clasping her hands together. She took a few steps towards her beloved, before stopping in her place, seeing that the King before her was...not quite himself anymore. "Mickey...?"

Aqua slowly stepped upo behind the queen, "What's happened to him?"

Mickey's emotionless stare then twisted, turning his face into a contorted and corrupted image of wickedness and insanity. He let out a low dark chuckle which slowly grew into a gutteral laugh which came from somewhere deep within him in a voice that was entirely not his own, but of that of some controlling, latched demon.

Riku watched as the King stumbled forward from the dark shadows and took in his friend's new appearance - the unkept, disheveled fur, the torn and ragged ears, the piercing sharp rows of teeth and paleness of his skin, but most of all, the twisted, evil look of madness in his eyes.

Seeing the King like this now, it all sent chills down their spine. They had expected to have their King return to the realm of light, but certainly not like this.

"Mickey..." Minnie repeated again.

The King let out a loud howl then, tossing his head back, as his body contorted and shook, as if whatever darkness coursing through him was now controlling him to do its' will.

Riku's eyes widened, "What the-"

Mickey let out another thunderous roar from within his small frame and charged towards Minnie and Aqua then.

"Your Majesty, stand back!" Aqua demanded, stepping in front of the queen and throwing her arms out in defense.

Mickey's jaws stretched out wide. further showing off his terrifyingly sharp teeth, as if to devour the blue-haired Keyblade Master before him. Aqua flinched and shut her eyes, summoning her Keyblade in a last minute effort to repel her now-corrupted friend away.

Just as Aqua was certain that she was going to feel the sharp teeth tear through her flesh, she heard the piercing sound of metal being punctured. She opened her eyes to see Riku standing in front of her and Minnie, fending off the King, who had quite literally sunk his teeth deep into the blade of Riku's Keyblade.

Although it looked quite painful, Mickey seemed unrelenting at trying to shatter Riku's Keyblade apart with his teeth. Riku tried to shake Mickey free from his blade but it was futile, almost like trying to take a toy from a dog. Mickey dragged his teeth down, leaving teeth marks in the blade before releasing the weapon from his jaws.

Riku looked down at his Keyblade, seeing the deep teeth marks that were now etched in the blade, "Really?"

Mickey let out a dark chuckle and grinned, as if proud of how he just tried to attack his beloved and friends. He let out another howl, before turning his attention around the room, searching for his next target with a dark glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

Aqua quickly cast her blade between the Mickey's gaze and Minnie, as the untamed king scanned around the room. His attention went to Daisy next.

"Don't even think about it," Daisy huffed up and stomped her foot down, placing her hands on her waist. "I'm not putting up with it today! Not today!"

The King pouted and turned his attention to Pete, before the evil smile returned to his face - staring down the long-time nemesis of his that spanned through the decades. Now - things were different. Now, Mickey didn't just have the darkness on his side...but it was controlling him - causing him to act out on his direct instincts in a way that could not be controlled or persuaded.

With his mind corrupted by darkness, it didn't necessarily make Mickey forget all about his past but rather, his mind was influenced by the dark - bringing forth all the darkest, worst memories of his past life. Perhaps that was what was causing the king to act out in an uncontrollable, wild manner in the first place - the darkness rising forth and bringing with it all of the worst it had to offer.

Mickey's smile grew wider, as he thought of all the trouble Pete had caused himself and his kingdom.

Pete put his hands up in defense, "Now, now, Mickey - er, uh, I mean, Your Majesty!" He began stumbling back a few feet as Mickey slowly approached him, with a menacing glare on his face. "Look here, I know we've had our itty-bitty problems in the past, but...it's all in the past, right? Please...uh, I've changed! Turned a new leaf! We can just let it go!"

Mickey continued trailing forwards towards his old nemesis, an evil laugh beginning to emit from within himself as his eyes grew wide with madness.

Pete continued stumbling back, fear in his voice, "I...um...oh, look at the time. We really should be gettin' outta here. Right, son?" He reached out towards his son and tried to turn away from the mad king.

Though, just as Pete turned away from him, the King leapt up into the air and shot towards Pete, opening his jaws up wide and snapping down right on Pete's backside.

"YEEEEEOOOOOWWW!" Pete's eyes widened and he shot up into the air, feeling the King's sharp teeth sink into his skin. He landed with a large thud and rolled over onto his stomach. Pete gave out a whimper and brought his hands to rub his backside, "Ohhh, my achin' behind..."

The corrupted king let out a wicked laugh, before turning his attention back to Aqua, Minnie and Riku, who was still examining his gnarled Keyblade. The King charged towards the three and leapt up into the air to attack them again.

With a simple wave of Yen Sid's hand, the king was frozen in the air.

The group watched as the King froze in place and recovered from the unexpected attack.

Pete rose up to his feet and rubbed his behind, "Yeouch, what the heck's gotten into him?"

Yen Sid approached his frozen apprentice. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, "It is to my dishonor that I had to use magic of this sort on him, but...it was for the safety of everyone."

Minnie slowly approached her frozen beloved, stretching her hand out to his. "Oh, Mickey...What's happened to you?"

Aqua walked up next to Minnie and looked up at the King, "What had happened to him after being lost to the realm of darkness? And where did he come from?"

"It's almost like the darkness is consuming him, itself." Riku said. "I know the feeling. He's out of control...and the more he acts out on it, the stronger its' hold on him will be. What could have turned him so...twisted, though?"

"Let's find out," Yen Sid said, approaching his apprentice. He lifted his hands up to Mickey's head and began gracefully manuevering his hands, as if casting an enchantment.

"What are you doing," Minnie asked.

"I'm extracting the memories from Mickey's brain to find out what happened to him," Yen Sid explained. "Perhaps that will enlighten us to discover what happened to Mickey in the first place."

Riku, Aqua and the queen watched as Yen Sid enchanted Mickey's figure. The skilled sorcerer gently placed his hands on Mickey's forehead and from within, seemingly extracted a shimmering cloud of light which floated above his palm.

"What's that," Aqua asked, looking at the small cloudy orb.

"A memory," Yen Sid explained, "The last one in Mickey's mind...It should tell us what happened to Mickey while in the realm of darkness..."

Yen Sid waved his hands over the cloudy orb and within a moment, the cloud expanded and opened, as the memory within played out before Yen Sid, Riku, Aqua and Minnie.

" _You're...you're here for me!? What do you want!?" Mickey said, pointing his Keyblade forward._

 _"Now, now, that won't be necessary," Xehanort said, pushing Mickey's Keyblade down. "Of course, I could always force you to cooperate with me, but...why would I do that when I can just make you instead?"_

 _Ansem and Xemnas went after Mickey then. The King tried to attack either one of them, but in the blink of an eye, the dark figures tightly kept the king in place._

 _"What are you doing!?" Mickey yelled, dropping his Keyblade, "Let go of me! You won't get away with this, Xehanort!"_

 _"Oh, don't worry, Your Majesty," Xehanort smirked and lifted his Keyblade, "When I'm done with you, you won't remember any of this...for your brain is going to meet a...sudden 'change'."_

 _Mickey glared up at the man, confused, "What are y-"_

 _Without another word, a dark aura emerged from within Xehanort's Keyblade. The dark aura impulsed before leaving the Keyblade and taking the form of a small orb. With his blade, Xehanort directed the dark orb straight into Mickey's forehead, where the orb dissolved and took hold of the King's brain._

 _Mickey choked out and gasped for air, struggling against the darkness that consumed his brain. He wildly thrashed about and screamed out. Mickey's eyes turned yellow then and his ears became ragged and misshapen. His usual, friendly face twisted and became distorted, more terrifying than even some of the worst Heartless._

 _Xehanort smiled to himself, watching as the King was transformed into this new being, controlled by the darkness inside of him._

Yen Sid, Riku, Aqua and Minnie watched as the orb in Yen Sid's hand was soon covered by a dark aura, before dissolving into darkness.

Yen Sid's eyes widened, "The darkness...it's eating away at his memories...his brain. It won't be long until the King we know is no more, entirely."

Riku gritted out through his teeth, "Of course it was Xehanort that did this. It's just like him to try and corrupt one of our own with darkness, but...Mickey, his brain..."

"What can we do," Aqua asked.

Yen Sid looked back at his apprentice and waved a hand over his frozen form, a blue aura passing over the king. "He will be preserved like this until we can find a way to return his mind to its' original state."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Riku asked. "We have quite a bit of experience with working on hearts, but I've never had to fix anyone's runaway brain before..."

Yen Sid bowed his head and turned to Riku, Aqua and Minnie, "Well, when you've forgotten something, what is it that you do to help you remember again?"

"Hmm," Aqua thought out loud, "You...try to think of something to help you jog your memory?"

"Precisely," Yen Sid nodded and smiled. "That's exactly what we're going to do. We're going to jog the King's memory and help him remember who he is...or rather, who he was..."

Riku placed a finger on his chin, "Hm, how are we going to jog his memory? Especially when he's like this now?"

"I think I can help with that," Minnie said, as the others turned to her. She went on, "When Mickey and I first moved into the castle, we brought all of our things with us and had them placed in the castle attic."

"The attic," Aqua asked.

"Yes," Minnie nodded, "So many things we've collected along the way before becoming the King and Queen of this kingdom. Surely...there must be something up there that we could use to help recover Mickey's mind...his memories."

"Indeed," Yen Sid bowed. "It is just such a thing that will open up passage to Mickey's mind and clear away the darkness that has moved in."

Riku nodded, "We better hurry then. We don't have a lot of time until the darkness continues to spread through his brain."

"I will go, too," Minnie said, leading them away from the chamber and towards the attic. "I'll show you the way."

Aqua nodded and reassured the queen, "Don't worry, Minnie. We'll do whatever it takes to bring Mickey back to who he was. We'll save him...I promise."

Minnie nodded and smiled, looking back at Mickey peacefully floating in the air, "I...know you will."

The four of them made their way from the Cornerstone of Light and went towards the attic to begin their quest to restore Mickey to the King he was always meant to be.

* * *

Sora sat on the roof of Merlin's house, watching the sunset off in the distance as a golden glow was cast over the town of Radiant Garden.

The Keyblade wielder remained deep in thought as he leaned back and took in the warmth of the sun's light. After everything that had happened - the destruction of Camelot, the fear of what the replicated Riku said, how the actual Riku and Mickey were doing in their quest to save Aqua, the rising strength of the darkness and Xehanort's army with every passing second - Sora needed a moment to get away from it all and be by himself with his thoughts.

He couldn't very well just stay inside, not when Donald, Goofy and the others were there talking about what happened while also trying to comfort Arthur, it would only cause him to feel worse about not being able to seal the Keyhole in time. He didn't want to go to the marketplace as he wanted some time alone and that part of the town was always bustling with people and going to the castle was unlikely, especially with the amount of security there, nowadays. So, he found himself here.

Not that he minded - it was certainly a peaceful, beautiful view.

He remembered the very first night of their new adventure. He sat here with Kairi, the two of them looking up towards the stars in the sky, as they talked about what awaited them on this new journey. It had only been a week and yet, so much had happened in that time - some good and some bad...and there was more to come.

Sora wasn't entirely sure he was ready for it, either, not that he could prepare himself, regardless.

He took a deep breath and summoned his Keyblade to his hand, looking over the blade that come to him those few years ago when his island was destroyed, 'The darkness...has a way of taking hold of what ever it sets its' sight on - people's hearts, world's hearts, the light...it doesn't stop until it consumes what it's after...'

He thought of what had happened to Camelot, the islands and to so many other worlds before them. He spoke out loud, 'Everything is lost to the darkness...to the shadows. Lives are torn apart...people disappear into the darkness and are lucky to see the light ever again. Families, friends...everything is lost to the darkness...and everything you once knew is gone...'

Sora lifted a hand to his chest and felt his heart pulse, "Could...the same thing...be happening to me? Could the darkness...be taking hold of my heart...without me even realizing it?"

Just the idea of it made Sora want to hide himself away from the worlds and sink himself further into isolation. It wasn't just the idea of darkness being within him that scared him, but also how that darkness could hurt the people he cared about. He's seen it first hand with Riku - how their friendship was broken and Riku was led down a lonely path with the wrong people...all because of the darkness. He didn't want that lonliness for himself, but at the same time, he was isolating himself away from everything else.

He wasn't even entirely sure if there was any darkness within him. He was probably just letting his mind wander to the worst places and feeding more into it than it actually was. But then again, maybe he wasn't...

Maybe he had every reason to be concerned...

He felt his hood open up and looked back to watch Spooky crawl his way out from within, trailing down Sora's arm. The small shadows plopped himself down next to Sora and stared off into the sunset.

Sora smirked and looked down at the shadow sitting next to him, "Hm, I guess I don't mind this company."

Spooky's eyes happily narrowed as he shook his head, excitedly wiggling his little legs.

Sora scratched the back of his head, "I guess you heard everything I said before about the darkness...when, I suppose, you're a part of the darkness, too, right, Spooky?"

Spooky nodded and turned to look up at Sora.

Sora paused for a moment as he thought about the darkness and all the Heartless he fought throughout the worlds, "Spooky...I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt your feelings. You just...you really aren't like the other Heartless out there. I've been fighting them for years now...some are ruthless creatures, some much larger and terrifying...but then, there's you...and well, when I'm with you, exploring the worlds now with a Heartless on my side...well, it makes me think that...maybe the darkness isn't all that bad..."

Spooky stood up then and nodded his head in agreement, trying to get Sora's attention.

"Hm?" Sora looked down at the shadow.

Spooky moved over to Sora's lap, where he crawled up, pointing to Sora's heart. Spooky then pointed to himself.

"What is it, Spooky?" The Keyblade wielder asked the small Heartless, who pointed to his heart.

Spooky pointed to Sora's heart and then back to his own chest again.

Sora nodded his head, starting to understand, "Oh, I think...I'm starting to get it. You...had a heart once, too, didn't you, Spooky?"

Spooky nodded and brought his hands up to his chest. With his hands he conveyed a gesture that made it seem like his chest was now empty.

"All of the Heartless...they try to take hearts...because they were born from people that once had hearts, too." Sora nodded, understanding what Spooky was trying to say now, "The Heartless came from people that had hearts...and they're still trying to get them back, so they can be themselves again? Is that it?"

Spooky nodded and pointed towards his chest and then to Sora's heart again, as if to say that a part of Sora's heart was once his own, too.

Sora smirked slightly, but then frowned, "Hm, even though they come from the darkness, the Heartless...they never wanted to be the way they are, either. They're just as...lost as anything that falls to the darkness, itself." He sighed and looked down at Spooky, "Geez, when I think about it that way...I almost feel bad for them, even thought they've been an enemy of ours for so long."

Spooky nodded and climbed back up Sora's arm, perching himself on his shoulder.

"I guess...not everything is as black and white as the light and darkness make them out to be. I always just thought of the darkness as being 'bad'...but there's a lot more to it than just that. Even Riku struggled with the darkness...and he's a Keyblade Master now, so, if the darkness in me begins to act up, I know I can face it, too, just like he did."

Spooky nodded and patted Sora on the ear.

For the first time that day, Sora smiled and looked down at the shadow, "Thanks, Spooky...for helping me learn a few things that I wouldn't have understood about the darkness on my own." He let out a small chuckle and patted Spooky on the head, "You really aren't like other Heartless."

"It sounds like you're doing better," Kairi said, catching Sora by surprise, as she climbed her way up onto the roof of the house. "You worried me...After everything that happened back there, I was afraid you might have thought about leaving us..."

"Nah, not yet. I'm stronger than that," he gave a small laugh and patted the spot next to him, welcoming her to sit. "I just needed some time alone to take everything in."

"I understand," Kairi said, sitting down next to him and staring off at the sunset. "You're worried about the darkness inside you...?"

He paused for a moment, before turning to her and replying with a sincere tone, "Of course I am. I'm terrified...but, if I let my fear of the dark consume me, it will control my life." He gave a small laugh, "I don't even know if it's something to be worried about. But...if the darkness does start appearing, I want to be prepared for when it does..."

Kairi placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, "We're here for you, you know. Even if there is darkness inside of you, don't push us away. We're your friends, it's what we're here for."

"Thanks, Kairi." He smiled and placed his hand over hers, "I know my friends are here for me...even if there's so much that I don't understand myself."

"It's okay," Kairi said, reassuringly. "We can all learn together. You don't mind me joining in on the adventure for a little while longer, do you?"

"I'd be sad if you weren't here," Sora smiled at her and gently squeezed her hand, taking it off his shoulder and scooting closer to her. "Besides, I'm happy you're finally getting to go on an adventure with all of us."

"Me too," she said, blushing slightly as Sora moved closer. "I know it's been a crazy trip so far, but I'm really having a good time."

"Well, it's still just the start. We still have the other princesses to find and who knows where we'll end up along the way while trying to fight Xehanort," Sora smiled.

The two of them looked off towards the sunset, feeling very reminiscient of when they stared off at the setting sun from the beaches of their island at the very start of this entire journey.

Kairi closed her eyes and rested her head on Sora's shoulder, smiling to herself. "Even if the darkness tries to hurt your heart, I'll protect it."

Sora felt his cheeks redden as his heart beat hastened. He slowly tilted his head down to rest on her head, as he smiled, "No matter what happens, I know you'll akways be with me."

The two of them remained like that for a long while, watching as the golden-orange sun set along the vast horizon before them.

From the streets below the rooftop, leaning against one of the buildings adjacent to Merlin's house, Lea looked up at Sora and Kairi and smiled to himself as the two drew closer and seemed lost in their own, little world together.

"Hmm, to have someone protect your heart...to know someone's always with you," he scratched the back of his head and pouted. He looked up at Sora and Kairi and thought back to Rapunzel and Flynn, how the two couples shared the same looks of happiness and contentment just to be with one another.

He crossed his arms and sighed, "I wonder what it feels like..."

He was then taken out of his thoughts when he had heard an unusual sound. It was a sound he was quite familiar with ever since his Organization XIII days - the sound of a corridor of darkness opening. He turned his gaze away from the two on the rooftop and spotted a hooded figure in an Organization XIII robe emerge from within a dark portal at the opposite end of the town plaza.

"Huh? Who's-"

Lea was taken by surprise when the figure turned to face directly towards him, staring at him for a long moment before turning away and disappearing behind one of the buildings. There was no mistaking it, Lea knew that the figure must have saw him - there was no way that the figure couldn't have.

Cautiously, Lea moved from his spot against the building wall and moved quietly through the town plaza, silently sifting through the tight alleys and ducking around buildings until he had come to the building where the cloaked figure had escaped behind. When Lea rounded the corner of the building, there was no figure there.

He quickly ascended up the stone staircase and landing that led away from the town's center and towards the bailey and the castle's security gates. From the landing above, Lea could now spot the cloaked figure off in the distance. The figure had somehow made his way past the locked security gates and was ascending up the garden pathways that led up to the reactors that were hidden away at the foot of the castle.

'They're heading towards the castle...' Lea thought to himself as he spied on the figure from above. With a familar uniform like that, one he wore himeself, he knew that the mysterious figure must have been a part of Xehanort's army, and if they were heading towards the castle, it could have only been for a less than desireable reason.

"What the hell are they up to," Lea whispered to himself, before following after the figure.

* * *

Queen Minnie had led Riku, Aqua and Yen Sid up to the vast attic of Disney Castle, which was filled to the brim with objects and belongings to Mickey, Minnie and the other royals which they had collected throughout their life. Being sustained by Yen Sid, Mickey traveled through the air behind the old sorcerer and was suspended frozen in air once arriving into the castle attic.

On one far end of the room was a huge black and white steamboat which seemed to be out of function for years, there was a section of the castle devoted to the musical instruments that had once belonged to the royals and in one corner, Pluto's old dog house sat next to a beautiful, golden harp. Suspended from the ceiling above, a black and white plane was fastened by rope. There was a box containing all sorts of magician props which had once belonged to Mickey. There was the gears and clock face of a huge clock tower that once sat in Disney Town that Mickey, Donald and Goofy had once been responsible for repairing. The whole attic was filled with many items from the past that had been locked away for safe-keeping.

"Hm, so how are we going to find up here that would help jog Mickey's memory," Aqua asked, looking around at all the items and props that clogged the vast attic. "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

Minnie nodded, "Well, everything up here played a part in Mickey or his friends' past. Surely, there has to be something up here that could help recover his past."

Riku thought out loud, "Hm, yea, but even so, is just finding something that once belonged to the King enough to change him back? I doubt it, there's gotta be more to it than just that."

"I believe Riku is right," Yen Sid nodded and stepped towards a chest filled with Mickey's old clothes. He placed his hands on an apprentice's red robes, "These items reveal to us the many parts that have made up Mickey's life, but what we need...is a way to destroy the darkness in Mickey's brain, itself."

"So, how do we do that exactly?" Aqua asked, tilting her head and placing a hand on her hips, "Entering someone's brain to destroy the darkness doesn't exactly sound like the easiest task."

"Hmm..." Riku thought, placing a finger on his chin as he thought.

They were taken out of their thoughts when they heard Minnie rummaging through a few of the items in the attic, before leaning down to pick something up. "Here it is!"

"Here what is," Riku asked.

Minnie pulled the item from the cluttered attic, brushing off the dust from the the object to reveal a small, folded up film screen, something that Mickey and Minnie had once projected old-time movies and classic cartoons on.

Riku scratched the back of his head, "Um, Minnie? I don't think now is the time to watch a movie..."

Minnie shook her head, "No, no. We aren't going to be watching a movie. We're going to use this to help us save Mickey."

"Hm, how so?" Aqua asked curiously, as she stepped closer to the blank film screen.

Minnie turned her attention to the sorcerer, "Well, if Master Yen Sid can pull Mickey's memory from within him like he did before, if he were to send the memories into the screen, perhaps it could show us where the darkness is in Mickey's mind."

"That sounds like a mouthful," Riku said, tilting his head as he stepped to examine the screen.

"Hmm, perhaps it could work." Yen Sid said, running his hand through his beard, "Pulling the memory's from Mickey would not be a difficult task, however, maintaining his stasis while keeping his memory outside of his brain could prove even more dangerous. Should the King awaken from the slumber I've cast upon him without a single thread of his memories intact, he might be even more of a mindless being than he is now."

"Then, we'll have to work quickly to restore Mickey's mind before your powers wane," Aqua said, turning to Yen Sid.

"Wait, am I the only one that's not getting it?" Riku scratched his head, confused. "How exactly are we going to restore Mickey's mind from all the way out here? I think there's something I'm not getting."

Yen Sid nodded and walked up to the screen to examine it, "That's because you're not going to restore Mickey's mind from out here, but rather...from in here." Yen Sid pointed to the screen.

Riku looked between Yen Sid and the screen, "Huh? Can you do that?"

"Hm, I'm not entirely sure," Yen Sid replied honestly. "In all my years of sorcery, I've never met a challenge such as this before."

Aqua looked at the two, "But if it means bringing Mickey back to how he was, we should at least try it."

"Yeah," Riku said, turning to Minnie, "We'll fight the darkness away in those memories. We won't let it hurt the King anymore."

Minnie bowed her head and smiled, "Thank you."

Yen Sid moved away from the film screen and to the floating King, waving his hand over his former apprentice as a blue aura passed over the mouse like a wave. "While traversing through Mickey's memories, it is important to not only destroy the darkness within, but...perhaps, once inside, the key to returning the king to who he is supposed to be will be uncovered..."

Aqua and Riku nodded.

"There must be something within the realm of Mickey's mind that should set the King down the right path...," Yen Sid said. "Until then, I will stay here with the Queen to watch over the King and ensure that the portal and Mickey's memories are sustained while you adventure within."

"Got it," Riku said, summoning his Keyblade.

Aqua turned to Minnie, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. We'll save Mickey."

"I'll wait here until he's back to the King I know," Minnie bowed and smiled at the two.

"Now then, are you ready?" Yen Sid turned to ask the two Keyblade wielders.

"Would it...be particular dangerous in there," Riku asked. "What would happen if you weren't able to keep the passage into Mickey's memories open and the portal closed?"

Aqua nodded, "Yeah...what would happen to us in there? Would we be trapped in his memories without a way back here?"

Yen Sid thought for a long moment before closing his eyes and bowing his head, "I cannot say."

"I guess we'll find out if the worst case scenario comes to pass," Aqua mused.

Riku smirked, "Let's hope it doesn't."

Yen Sid commanded their attention once again, "Now then, are you ready?"

"Possibly," Riku said.

"Probably," Aqua said.

Yen Sid nodded, "Good enough."

The sorcerer went over to the King and lightly placed his hands to the King's forehead. From underneath his palm, a light glow appeared from within his hand and Mickey's forehead. Yen Sid moved his hand upward and from within Mickey's forehead, a few cloudy orbs of light surrounded by a dark aura appeared. The orbs floated in the air above Mickey for just a moment before Yen Sid directed them towards the screen. The orbs moved towards the white square before dissolving into the screen.

Then, the screen seemed to expand into a vast doorway of light, beams of pure whiteness streaming out from within. The passage to Mickey's mind had been opened, as Yen Sid carefully held his hands upward to the entryway, his hands glowing with a bright light as he mainted his powers to keep the portal opened.

Aqua turned back to Yen Sid and Minnie, "We'll be back soon!"

"And we'll make sure Mickey is okay," Riku said, reassuringly.

Then, Riku and Aqua stepped through the portal and through the passage that led to Mickey's mind, disappearing from the castle attic. Once gone, the portal doorway vanished and the screen stood back in its' place when the light faded.

Yen Sid and Minnie curiously approached the screen as a faded, spotty image began to appear on the screen's front. Muffled audio music began to play from the screen as a black and white logo appeared.

 _A MICKEY MOUSE CARTOON_

 _"MICKEY MANIA"_

 _STARRING RIKU AND AQUA_


	10. Hidden Truths

**Chapter Ten - Hidden Truths**

 **A Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Mickey Mania - Steamboat Willie**

A flowing river streamed past the vast rolling countryside made up of hills and sloping plains that stretched onwards for miles. The sight was a pleasant and peaceful sight indeed, lost in time and locked away in the memories of Mickey's mind.

A radiant light appeared at the edge of one of the hill's landings and from within the light, a film screen appeared with a moving clip reel appearing, floating at the front of the screen. From within the clip reel, a strong light appeared from it and Riku and Aqua emerged out of the moving reel and into the countryside.

"We're here..." Riku said, "HUH?!"

"Everything's..." Aqua started, taking in the new setting around her. Yes, while it was quite a peaceful environment, there was one specific characteristic that set this world apart from any other that either one of them had ever visited before.

"BLACK AND WHITE!?"

Indeed, everything in this world was depicted only as black and white, reflective of the time period that Aqua and Riku had traveled back to. Even the two Keyblade Masters themselves were now fully just black and white or in any other color belonging to the grayscale dimension, regardless of the usually colorful uniforms they had worn.

Aqua and Riku turned to one another and noticed each others' appearance then.

"Oh...," Riku said, his eyed widening when he saw Aqua in this world now.

"What?" she said, before seeing Riku's appearance for the first time, too. "Ohhhhh..."

"Yeaaah..." The two of them looked down at their now colorless garments, noticing their gray skin. The two of them moved over to the river that flowed past the rolling hill tops they were nearby. The two leaned over the edge of the landing and looked at their reflection in the water.

"Oh, wow..." Aqua said, taking in both her and Riku's new appearances. They were entirely black and white and seemed much less like themselves and more like some type of old-time film cartoon character. Their bodies seemed thinner and lankier, with their eyes bigger and altogether, much less detailed and simpler in appearance.

"Well, this is definitely unexpected," Riku said, raising his hands to his face as he examined his new look. "Not my best look, I think..."

"Yeah...the black hair doesn't suit me...I'll stick with the blue," Aqua said, squinting at her appearance. She looked up from the river at the grey sky above, filled with white, puffy almost perfectly 'drawn' clouds. "Well, at least the clouds look the same...We must be really far back in time in Mickey's memories with things being this way..."

Riku looked around his environments one more time and thought out, "Hmm...this place seems familiar..."

"You've been here before," Aqua asked her friend.

"No, it's not that...but I think Sora, Donald and Goofy have." Riku said, turning back to Aqua as he thought harder, "I remember from what he had told Kairi and I back on the islands about everything that had happened when we were separated...I think he called this place...'Timeless River'."

"Hm, what a strange little world..." Aqua said, before she heard the loud whistle of a nearby steamboat ring out across the countryside. The two looked over and at the far end of the rolling hills, there was a small black and white steamboat docked at a pier just off of the coast of the edge of the rolling hills. "Well, look at that..."

Riku began walking towards the boat, "Let's go check it out."

The two of them had made their way to the pier, where they got a closer look at the steamboat. On one side of the boat, there was a large water wheel that helped navigate through the water. Capping off the top of the steamboat were two funnels which puffed with black clouds of smoke.

"Who do you think it belongs to?" Aqua said, turning to Riku as the two of them peaked out from behind a tree not far off away from the boat.

"Hm, I don't know..." Riku said. Moments later, he saw a small figure hard at work appear on the boat. The figure was short and had perfectly rounded circular ears. Just like Riku and Aqua, he shared much resemblance to his present day-self, and yet, he seemed simpler, less detailed and fully colorless. "Look, it's Mickey..."

"Come on, we should get on that ship," Aqua said, before moving out from behind thre tree and running up the small ramp that led up to the deck of the steamboat, closely followed by Riku behind her.

Once aboard the ship, Riku and Aqua took a quick look around the boat, "Hmm, where did Mickey go?"

"Come on, I think he went over this way," Aqua said, pointing to the front side of the boat. Just as the two started moving to the other side of the boat, they felt a small stirring underneath their feet as the boat began to slightly sway back and forth. Riku and Aqua looked behind them to see the pier moving farther away as the steamboat departed down the river.

Riku shrugged, "Look's like we'll be going on a little cruise. Guess we won't be going back that way."

The two continued onward, before they could make out a small whistling from above them, not coming from the steamboat horns, but rather, from the person that was navigating the boat down the river.

"Up there," Aqua said, pointing up a small stairwell that led to the boat's observation deck. The two of them made their way up to the deck above where they spotted Mickey at the helm of the wheel of the steamboat.

There, Mickey, wearing a steamboat captain's hat, happily whistled and tapped his foot as he steered the boat down the river.

"Hmm, seems like Mickey's hard at work," Riku said with a small smile.

Aqua smiled and laughed, "Look at the King. He looks so young!"

The two of them were soon interrupted, as behind them, they heard the sound of heavy stomping up the stairwell and into the deck with them. They turned around to find none other than Peg Leg Pete standing there - the true captain of the Steamboat Willie.

"He's here, too," Aqua said with her eyes wide by the sudden intrusion.

Riku gritted through his teeth, "Yepp, and it doesn't look like he's happy we're here!"

Peg Leg Pete huffed up and without a moment to spare, used both his arms to push Riku and Aqua out of the way. The two Keyblade wielders fell to the floor in a heap as Pete barged through.

"Hey, watch it!" Aqua threatened the captain.

However, Peg Leg Pete was far too concerned with taking his agression out on his true source of anger - that his lowly deckhand had commandeered his steamboat without his permission. Moving past the two others, he stomped his way up to the wheel and angrily pulled Mickey from it, tossing him back down to the floor with Aqua and Riku.

Peg Leg Pete angrily rose his chest, making noises that implied he was berating Mickey before commanding him to continue to do his work, pointing him downward to the lower deck of the ship where Mickey was to clean the deck. Now with Pete back at the helm of the ship's direction, Mickey dejectedly descended down the stairwell to the main deck.

Aqua hummed, "Well, I can see now why the King and Pete never got a long. They got off to a rough start..."

"And...he'd caused problems for him and the others for years." Riku sighed and rolled his eyes, "At least he's changed now..."

"It's a start," Aqua let out a small laugh, looking back at Pete, who unenjoyingly steered the boat down the river. She looked over the edge of the observation deck and saw Mickey below. "Come on, we should try and talk to Mickey."

Riku and Aqua descended down the stairwell, where they had stumbled upon Mickey who was now hard at work scrubbing down the deck of the two slowly approached the busy king.

"Um, Mickey..." Riku began.

The small mouse looked up from the floors of the steamboat at the two figures. His less detailed, less colorful self, conveyed a big look of surprise, almost overly animated at the unexpected visitors. Mickey sprung to his feet and quickly ran from them.

"No! No, it's okay, Mickey," Aqua assured him. "It's just us...Aqua and Riku. We're...friends."

Mickey peeked out from the corner of the ship's cabin, watching the two intruders.

"Yeah, Mickey. We're good friends." Riku nodded his head and slowly made his way towards the mouse, "In the future, well, we go on a lot of adventures together, all of us...We become really good friends. I know...it seems like a lot to understand."

Aqua nodded and knelt down in front of Mickey, "But...it's good to see you at least acting a little more like yourself. You really scared us back there."

Mickey scratched his head and looked at the duo, confused by everything that they were saying.

Aqua tilted her head, "Do you remember us?"

Mickey stared back at them, a sad look appearing on his face when he shook his head.

"Can't you speak," she continued to ask.

The mouse shrugged at the two, before turning away from them.

"He doesn't remember us," Riku observed. "Though I guess, he wouldn't. This is a version from Mickey far in the past, where he wouldn't know who we were anyway..."

"Hmm, understandable." Aqua said, placing a finger to her chin. "Though, I do suppose what it means to fight off the darkness of Mickey's memories while in here, as Master Yen Sid said. We've been her for a little bit and I haven't seen an ounce of darkness or any Heartless at all..."

Riku looked over the edge of the boat, "I wouldn't be too sure of that..." He pointed ahead of the boat's direction and waiting a little bit further down the river, was a pool of darkness at the center of the river. Inside the center of the darkness, were several dozen white, glowing eyes - shadow Heartless churning and writhing about, just waiting to be released from the dark river. From the core of darkness, the blackness begin to seep through and blacken the grey river.

"We're heading right for it!" Aqua shouted, before turning back to Riku. "We've got to tell the Captain to turn us around!"

Riku and Aqua quickly made their way up the stairs that led above and went to Pete.

"Pete, we have to turn the boat around!" Riku warned and pointed ahead of the boat, "Look, the darkness up ahead..."

"Eh?" was all Peg Leg Pete could muster up, before brushing the two off and turning back to his job of steering the ship down the river.

"He's not going to listen...and I don't think he understands us, either," Riku said, sighing and shaking his head.

Aqua placed a finger to her chin, "But...maybe it's the darkness we have to fight here. Maybe the only way to destroy the darkness corrupting Mickey's mind is to fight off these Heartless?"

With that, Aqua ran to the front of the ship, followed closely by Riku. Second by second, they quickly made their way towards the dark pool. It wasn't long before the shadows were unleashed from the river and exploded upwards into the air, heading straight towards the boat and RIku and Aqua.

"Let's go," Riku said, before the two sprung into battle. The duo summoned their Keyblade and slashed through the darkness, fighting their way through the Heartless. The shadows came in droves, dozens, and soon, what looked like hundreds.

As the two Keyblade wielders cut their way through the shadows, a group of them managed to crawl up the side of the boat and into the observation. Startled by the sudden intrusion of the creatures, Peg Leg Pete leapt up but was soon taken by the Heartless. The shadows lifted him up and over them, before proceeding to toss him over the side of the boat with a big splash. Pete emerged from the water's surface, as he sputtered and splashed about before making his way over to the coast, where he angrily stomped about like a child.

In the midst of the battle, Riku and Aqua turned their attention to the observation deck, where the boat's wheel was now captain-less. The boat began to shift, instead of heading straight down the river, slowly beginning to curve to the side and careening towards the coast.

Riku turned to look towards the boat's direction, "Oh, no! We need someone at the wheel! We'll crash otherwise!"

Aqua sliced through another group of Heartless, turning her attention up to the deck. "Wait, look!"

Mickey rushed up to the wheel of the boat and grasped the wheel, desperately steering the boat in the right direction down the river. He steadied the boat, turning it away from the coast and continued its' direction onwards.

"Come on, we just have to finish off the rest of these Heartless," Riku called out to Aqua, before the two of them quickly cut and slashed their way through the rest of the dark shadows.

Now with all of the Heartless defeated, the pool of darkness at the center of the river had vanished and the boat peacefully set sail down the river.

"There, that's better," Aqua said, summoning her Keyblade away. She turned to look back up at Mickey at the wheel, "Hmm, I guess he didn't always have it easy, either. He had to work hard to become the King he is today."

"I guess everyone has their moments being stuck someplace they don't really wanna be." Riku said, looking up at the king, "But working your way through them makes you better in the end."

Mickey looked down at the two strangers and waved at them, before continuing to happily whistle as he sailed the steamboat down the river.

A bright light then illuminated from the river up ahead of them, causing Riku and Aqua to turn to look at it closer. Ahead of them, a bit further down from the river, they were approaching another large screen with a film reel floating in front of it.

"What's that?" Aqua asked, examing the reel and screen floating in front of them.

"It's one of the same portals we used to arrive here. Maybe this one we'll take us to a different part of Mickey's memories," Riku said, before turning back to look up at the mouse. "Full speed ahead, Mickey!"

Mickey happily nodded and sailed the steamboat forward, off towards the film reel and the glowing screen, where he, Riku and Aqua disappeared within, leaving the Timeless River and being transported to a different memory within Mickey's mind.

* * *

Lea had followed the mysterious figure all the way up to the base of the castle, entering through the castle's large entry way.

Once he arrived at the castle doors, he noticed Dilan and Aeleus on the ground, having been attacked and were recovering.

"What happened," Lea asked the two fallen former comrades.

"That figure...they appeared out of nowhere," Dilan said gasping out and trying to lift himself up to his feet.

"He-he went through there..." Aeleus choked out as his head spun from the violent attack, "Through the castle."

Lea quickly pursued the robed figure and left Dilan and Aeleus behind to recover.

At this point, he could only assume that it was Xehanort or one of his many vessels in search of the Secret Sanctum, the secret chamber within the castle where the princesses were planned to be kept and where Alice was currently. Lea knew that if Xehanort had retrieved the princesses, it would offer him another path to get closer to Kingdom Hearts - which needed to be avoided at all costs.

"Stop!" Lea called after the mysterious figure, who disregarded the red-haired man and entered the castle, walking swiftly through the grand hall and making their way up to the stone steps at the back of the hall, which led upwards higher into the castle and led to a series of twisting and turning hallways, which led to different parts of the castle.

"I said stop," Lea said, calling up to the figure and chasing up the stairs. The red-haired man was drawn down the twisting and turning hallways of the castle, but the hooded figure was gone. Lea cautiously stepped down the hall, being as light as he could on his feet as to not alert the intruder if they did happen to be nearby. Lea was led into the large chamber that connected to all the other halls and directed those to Ansem's study which was found just off of the room.

Lea shifted his eyes lower, recalling what had happened to him here about a decade ago, not knowing if he was ready to continue onward or not. He had a feeling now that he knew exactly who was beneath that Organization XIII coat.

Ahead of him, light foot steps were heard and Lea continued his pursuit down the hall. When he had rounded the corner of the hallway, the mysterious figure was standing there again, leading Lea to another part of the castle.

"Wait," Lea cried out to the man, following him around the twisting hall until he was brought to a different part of the castle.

The hallway ended and opened up to a small secret balcony on the western end of the castle. The balcony hidden away within the design of the castle had a beautiful view of the world below. From all the way up here, it felt like you were at the top of the world. One could see every area of the town districts and gardens below, to the outer districts of Radiant Garden which were filled to the brim with reactors and machinery tubes, all the way to the tall mountains that surrounded the world and the vast sea that stretched beyond it.

Lea looked out over the balcony. The view seemed somewhat...tarnished, now.

He looked over to the left of the balcony, where there was a small ledge just big enough for to sit on. He looked down at the ledge and frowned, recalling the many days of his youth that he had spent here looking out at the view with his best friend. He quietly trailed his hand over the ledge and lifted his legs over the side of it, letting them dangle over the open air next to the castle.

He quietly sat there on his own, lost deep in his thoughts of the past as he looked out into the evening, star-lit night above Radiant Garden.

"Lea."

* * *

 _"Lea." Isa said, turning to his best friend as the two of them sat on the ledge together, looking over Radiant Garden. "You've been really quiet all day...for a change. What's gotten into you?"_

 _"Oh, it's nothing. Just been thinkin' a lot," Lea turned to Isa and let out a small smirk._

 _"About what," the blue-haired teen asked his friend._

 _Lea shrugged, "Our world. How it works...why things are the way they are, you know?"_

 _"So philosophical of you," Isa smirked._

 _"Hey, I'm being serious!" Lea defended, rising to his feet and standing on the ledge. "I'm always serious!"_

 _Isa tilted his head and rolled his eyes, letting out a small chuckle, "No, you're not. You're the biggest numbskull out here."_

 _"Heeeeeeey, but I'm you're friend, right?" Lea said with a smile, "So, you gotta put up with me!"_

 _Isa sighed and smirked, "Yepp, you're my best friend...not that I have many to choose from, so I have no choice but to appreciate you for who you are."_

 _"Which is the bestest friend in the whole world, right!?" Lea said, pumping his fist into the air and jumping up and down on the ledge._

 _"Careful!" Isa protectively called out to Lea, never quite liking it when his friend acted so recklessly. He sighed, "If it gets you to stop...yes, you can be the...'bestest friend in the whole world' or whatever."_

 _"Good, because I'm gonna need someone with me," Lea said, before turning off to the horizion and looking out at the setting sun in the distance._

 _Isa looked up at him, "What are you talking about?"_

 _"I'm gonna go out and explore what's out there," Lea said with a smile, pointing off in the direction of the sunset. "There has to be more than just this town we live in, right?"_

 _"I suppose so," Isa said, looking off with his friend. "What do you think?"_

 _"Hmm...I think...there are countless places to see, too many to visit in a lifetime, but it wouldn't be any fun without a best friend there with me," Lea smiled down at Isa. "I wanna see and learn everything that's out there, but with a best friend by my side."_

 _"Hmm, knowing you, you'd be able to make friends wherever you go," Isa smirked._

 _Lea rolled his eyes and stomped his foot down like a child, "Yeah, but if you're my best friend, it should be you there! Besides, I'd want you there. We'd get away from the same, old town, see new faces, maybe find a castle where we don't have to break into it just to find a good view..."_

 _Lea and Isa shared a moment of laughter together._

 _Isa turned to Lea and smiled, "Sure, I'm in."_

 _"Wait, really?" Lea asked, excitedly._

 _"Yeah, why not?" Isa nodded and smiled up at Lea, "If there are any other worlds out there, I'd want to see them, too...with my best friend by my side."_

 _"Alright! It's settled, we'll go together..." Lea smiled and looked up and at the setting sun, just imaging what waited beyond it. "And we'll see all that the outside world has to offer..."_

 _"And how do you suppose we get there?" Isa was always one to ask questions to garner realistic results._

 _"Hmm, see that's the one thing I haven't really thought about yet. There has to be some way, though," Lea said, shrugging his shoulders. "That's why I need you to come with me! You think things through..."_

 _"And you act out first..." Isa finished._

 _"Yepp!" Lea smiled and jumped up into the air again._

 _Isa let out a small chuckle, before straightening and reprimanding his friend, "Okay, careful! Calm down! Sit back down and let's eat our ice cream before it melts..."_

 _Lea smiled and returned to sitting next to his friend. Once settled down, Isa took two wrapped ice cream bars of sea salt ice cream and handed one to Lea who thanked him._

 _This had become their daily routine, their usual spot - the icing on the cake of making it through another day._

 _Every day, they would sneak up to this spot, given that the castle guards didn't find them and toss them out. Here, they would sit, enjoying a bit of ice cream, the view and the endless conversations they would have with each other about anything and everything. It was a true friendship that the both of them needed to feel like they had some place within this world, as there was very little else for them to claim as their own._

 _As they finished their treat, Lea examined the stick of the ice cream, "Look, another one. It says, 'WINNER'."_

 _"Mine, too." Isa said, holding up the ice cream stick with the words 'WINNER' written across it. "I probably have a dozen of this by now."_

 _"Same with me," Lea looked over the wooden piece. "What do you think it means? Like, is it for some kind of prize?"_

 _"Who knows? I've never heard anything about it before. Maybe we'll find out one day,," Isa said, placing the ice cream stick in his pants pocket. "Though, out of all of them I've collected over the days up here, when I look back on them, I'll think of all the times we've had up here."_

 _"Yeah, me too." Lea said, placing his in his pocket, as well. He thought about what Isa had said then - about looking back on these days with fond memories, as if at some point in time, these days up here weren't going to happen anymore. The thought seemed so strange and unrealistic to him, but it could happen eventually, one day off in the distant future, he supposed._

 _Lea turned to Isa then and asked genuinely, "Do you think we'll always be together like this?"_

 _"Huh, where did that come from?" Isa asked, a bit surprised by the question, though he wouldn't be honest if he said that he hadn't thought about it, as well._

 _"Oh, you know, just still thinkin' about life and everything," Lea said. "I hope we stay close like this forever. Yeah, we might not be able to make it up here every day like we can now, but...that'll be okay, right?"_

 _"Yeah, I guess." Isa said, turning to Lea. "Even if we can't make it up here, we'll just have to make time for one another elsewhere. We'll still be just as close as we are now, even if we can't always be in the same place together - so we have to appreciate the time that we do have together while we have it."_

 _"Yeah, I know," Lea smiled and pushed himself back off the ledge and onto the balcony. "Well, good, because you aren't getting rid of me any time soon!"_

 _"Right, oh, 'bestest friend in the whole world'. As much as you can get on my nerves, I don't know what I would do without having you as a friend, Lea," Isa smiled._

 _"There's a compliment in there somewhere, so I'll just say 'thank you'," Lea smiled back at his best friend. "Besides, we have an entire outside realm to explore out there...together."_

 _"Yeah...together," Isa smiled and nodded. "We've got as much time as we want."_

 _Lea patted Isa on the shoulder, "Come on, the sun's almost gone. We should get back before it's dark. We can continue our planning tomorrow."_

 _The two best friends left the balcony and made their way back into the castle, unaware of the danger that now lurked within._

 _As the sun set, it marked the end of Lea and Isa's friendship._

* * *

"Lea."

Lea was taken out of his thoughts then as he turned back from the ledge to spot the mysterious figure that was now standing on the opposite side of the balcony. "I knew it was you...as soon as I realized you were trying to lead me here..."

The mysterious figure pulled his Organization XIII hood back, revealing Isa's scarred face. He stared emotionlessly at his former best friend, reveling in the years of anger and hatred he bore towards the man.

Lea sighed and pushed himself off the ledge, placing his feet down on the balcony, "I knew it would only be a matter of time before we'd see one another again..."

"Yes, but you've been too busy off helping your new 'companions' to even bother to try and see me. Perhaps if you did, we could have settled this sooner," Isa said with a stern look on his face.

"Isa, I'm...I'm sorry. They're my friends," Lea said, lowering his head. "I have to be there for them..."

"There was once a time when I was a friend, too, Lea," Isa said, stepping closer to the man. "What makes you think these friends will stick around forever this time? I didn't, Roxas didn't...and these new ones won't either. You want to make as many friends as you can and yet,...you can't even keep the one that was supposed to be your 'best friend'..."

Lea stepped closer to the former friend, "Isa, please...I'm...I'm sorry."

"No." Isa said, his eyes glaring coldly. "There is nothing you can say to ever make me forgive you for what you've done." Isa slowly raised his finger to point at the x-shaped scar between his eyes.

"Isa, please! That was years ago. We've moved past this, haven't we," Lea pleaded, throwing his arms out.

Isa then punched Lea hard in the face, sending the red-haired man to the ground. Lea Quickly went to clutch his face, as blood trickled down from mouth. Before the man could recover from having the wind knocked out of him, he felt Isa's claymore weapon press sharply against his neck.

"Isa, please...don't do this!" Lea begged as the man pressed his weapon closer to his neck. "I know...I know we're on opposite sides now, but you have to listen to me! I'm trying to save you from him - from Xehanort! Please Isa, you can't do this!" Lea begged, tears streaming down his face. "We used to be best friends!"

Isa tightened his grip on his blade, digging into Lea's neck harder, "This is all YOUR fault in the first place! Because of you, my heart was taken by Xehanort! You turned me in just so you could save yourself!" Isa gritted through his teeth as his voice growled from his throat, "It's all your fault I got pulled into the Organization to begin with!"

Lea gulped, pinned between the ground and the weapon, feeling the sharp edge of the blade drive into his skin, "I know, Isa...and I'm so sorry for everything that happened."

"Sorry's NOT ENOUGH!" Isa screamed down at the man, "Years of my life have been spent wasting away with the Organization all because of you! I tried to protect you...and what did you do for me? You stabbed me in the back! You gave me up to Xehanort and my heart was taken! All...so you could save yourself...which backfired."

Lea lifted his hands, moving the blade away from his neck, but found that it only angered his friend further as Isa pressed harder into the side of Lea's neck, causing a slight trail of blood to fall from a fresh cut. "Isa...please, I-I...I know there's nothing I can say to fix what had happened! I can only try to do what I can to save you now and Isa, damn it, I'm trying!"

Isa faltered then, pulling his claymore away from the man's neck and loosening his grip around it. He stumbled back a few feet, feeling anger and hatred, but most of all, sadness, building up within his heart. After having been without a heart for so long, it felt so strange to have one again. "Look...at me. Look at what I've become...My heart was returned...only to become another tool of Xehanort..."

Lea begged, "Isa...I know I messed up in the past, but I'm trying to save you! Regardless of what's happened between us, you were once my friend and I want us to be friends again. I want things to go back to the way they were!"

"That won't ever be possible," Isa said angrily at Lea. "You ruined my life! Here I am, sinking further into the darkness...while you explore the outside worlds with your friends...just as you always wanted."

Lea rose to his feet and shook his head, "Isa..."

"It's too late. There's no saving me...from his darkness," Isa said, gripping tightly onto his weapon then. "I'll never forgive you for this, Lea!"

Isa drew back his weapon again to strike the man, but this time, Lea summoned his Keyblade and the two weapons met in a powerful clash, causing a flurry of sparks to emit outward from the clash.

"Enough, Isa!" Lea gritted through his teeth, "This isn't you! I know it isn't!"

"Oh, I'm exactly what you made me," Isa shot back, fending off the man's Keyblade. "Now then, shall we continue this fight?"

"Isa, no!" Lea pleaded, "I don't want to fight you! I don't want any of this! I just want us to be back to normal again!"

Isa struck Lea across the chest with his weapon then, sending the man to land hard on his back again then.

Lea let out a harsh grunt as he crashed down hard, but before he could move again, he felt the hard blade press against his neck. "Isa...I'm sorry. I know...I know you're mad! I understand!"

"You understand nothing," Isa said.

Lea choked out, "Okay, okay...I don't, but if you would just let me try to be there for you..."

"It's too late for that now, Lea," Isa bowed his head and closed his eyes.

Lea frowned and sighed, as a few tears slipped down his face, "If you are going to kill me, I...I understand. I deserve it after everything that happened between us..." He nodded and looked up at his former friend, genuinely believing what he had just said. He truly did feel responsible for his actions ruining Isa's life for the past decade and believed he deserved to die for all the pain he had caused.

Isa pulled the blade back, emotionless and turned his back away from Lea, "I'm not going to kill you...because Xehanort needs you alive. He needs you in the Keyblade War and killing you would spoil the fun in letting him hurt you later..."

Lea shufled back, his hand moving up to his neck, "Wh-what?"

"I said I'm not going to kill you...," Isa repeated. "...but I want nothing to do with you, either." He began to walk away from his lost friend.

Lea shook his head and closed his eyes, sighing, deeply hurt, "Isa..."

"Should we see each other again, we'll be nothing but strangers to one another..." Isa said, before leaving the balcony and Lea on his own.

Now on his own, Lea was left to recover from the battle, mending his wounds and sighing deeply. "How could this happen?"

The red-haired man spent the next few minutes alone and isolated on the balcony, in the place that once held cherished memories to him - now, just a sad, deflating reminder of all the hurt and pain he had caused the man that was once his best friend.

Now, with a heart back in his chest, all Lea could feel was incredible sadness over the loss of his friendship in a way that he had never felt before.

Because he knew now that his friendship with Isa really was over.

* * *

 **A Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Mickey Mania - The Band Concert**

There was a beautiful park filled with lush, tall trees, flower beds and green grass topping off rolling hills that stretched as far as the eye could see. The far end of the park was met with the sheer brightness of shimmering light, as out of nowhere, a screen with a floating film reel before it appeared from out thin air. From within the film reel, Aqua and Riku appeared and stepped into the park.

"Whoa, big change of scenery," Riku remarked upon seeing the peaceful, colorful park.

Aqua smirked, "I don't think I've ever been so happy to see color again." Even in this new part of Mickey's mind, the color still wasn't incredibly strong. It looked a little faded, a little worn down, as if everything in this world was painted over with a single layer of paint that had dried long ago.

Still, to Riku and Aqua, they were just happy to not be in a pixelated, spotty black and white film universe anymore.

Riku looked around him, trying to spot what had been missing, "Hm? Where'd the King go?"

Aqua, too, then spun around in search of the King, "Hmm, he was just here a second ago. He sailed the steamboat into the portal with us."

Riku raised a finger to his chin as he thought, "Hm, yeah, but that Mickey was from that time in the past...meaning that he's probably still there and that Mickey from this time period is somewhere here now."

"Right, but where," Aqua asked, looking around through the dense trees around them. It wasn't long before the tuning of a band could be heard. The mixing sounds of a clarinet, flute, percussion and trumpet began to mix together, as the instruments were prepped and readied for the performance ahead.

"Sounds like a band or something nearby," Riku said, listening to the tuning instruments off in the distance. "Let's go and check it out."

Riku and Aqua followed a light forest path that circled through the trees on a curve, passing under a low-hanging tree branch and crossing over a bridge that was built over a babbling brook. A moment later, the tuning instruments faded and all joined in unison as they started playing a song together.

"Hey, not bad. They actually sound pretty good," Aqua remarked, once hearing all the instruments come together to play a song.

"Where is it coming from though?" Riku said, peering through the trees ahead of him, "I think I could make out the back of a stage from here, though." The young man said, before pushing his way past a few shrubs and tree branches, before coming across a sign that read 'Concert Today'.

"This must be it. The music is getting louder," Aqua looked around. Directly ahead of her was a small path that led in-between two trees. She led Riku down through the trees before the path opened up into a large park courtyard, where a gazebo stage was placed at its' center. Just as the two had arrived, the band out in the front of the stage finished playing and the audience erupted in a loud roar of applause and cheers.

Quietly, as to not interrupt the performance, Aqua and RIku snuck in, taking the only spare empty seats at the back of the audience, which was filled with many toons, ones they could only assume must have been old-time friends with Mickey.

The two looked over the members of the band, which consisted of Goofy holding a clarinet, Donald playing the Trombone, Clarabelle Cow playing a flute, Horace Horsecollar playing percussion and Clara Cluck playing the trumpet. Standing before the stage, on a small pedestal, was Mickey himself, conducting the band with a royal conductor's coat. Although, now no longer black and white, the King still didn't look quite like himself just yet - still lacking some detail in his face.

As the band begin to segue into their next performance number, Aqua leaned over to Riku, "I didn't know Donald was musically inclined."

"Me either," Riku smirked. "He knows how to play a trombone of all the things but doesn't know how to use a 'Cure' spell."

The band continued playing their number, as the audience happily cheered and clapped along to the music, while Riku and Aqua observed the scene.

Aqua chuckled to herself, "Look at Mickey go. He looks so happy up there. He's doing a really good job! The band sounds great!"

As the music continued, Mickey cued Donald to start playing his trombone solo, but just as the duck attempted to play, all of the wrong notes were played and the song sounded terrible.

Aqua and Riku flinched and winced at the discord of notes.

"Wak?" Donald said, as all of the instruments died down and all became quiet. Donald blew into the trombone again, but once more, a series of incredibly bad sounding notes played. The duck started hitting the instrument against the ground, as if trying to dislodge something stuck within it. Then, the instrument began lifting up into the air, out of Donald's reach, as a dark aura circled around it. "WAK!?"

One by one, each of the istruments in the band members' hands lifted away from them, covered with the black, dark aura - the same that they had seen at the Timeless River.

"What?" Aqua said, standing up from her seat, observing the floating dark instruments.

"I've seen a lot of Heartless in my time, but...Heartless instruments?" Riku said, summoning his Keyblade.

Then, each of the instruments transformed into a Heartless, itself.

"They really are Heartless..." Aqua said, observing the floating Heartless clarinet and trombone which now floated above her, now with beady-yellow eyes and a gaping jaw. If Aqua was told earlier that day that she would be fighting, dark, demonic instruments, she simply would not have believed it.

"The darkness here has to be taken care of, too!" Aqua said, summong her Keyblade and jumping into battle alongside Riku.

As soon as the battle had commenced, the toons in the audience quickly panicked and ran from the concern grounds, taking shelter in the surrounding forest. Aqua and Riku worked in unison to fight off the dark instruments. As the battle progressed, the instruments sounded and played together, creating a discomforting, dreary arrangement of music notes that sounded absolutely unsoothing to the ear.

"Ugh, let's finish this before we have to listen to that for another second longer," Aqua said.

"Agreed," Riku finished, before he continued slashing through the dark instruments. He and Aqua worked together to make quick work of the Heartless creatures before the instruments broke apart and dissolved into the darkness, taking their dreary music with them.

"Well, that settles that then," Aqua said, turning to the scattered chairs in the audience, seeing the ruined concert.

Mickey approached both her and RIku and smiled up at the both of them, taking both of their hands in his and individually shaking them, as if to thank them for their assistance. With that, he turned away from them and made his way back through the woods to join the other band concert members.

Riku turned to look around. Although the concert grounds weren't in the best condition, at least there was no sight of darkness there anymore. "I think that takes care of thing here."

A moment later, a screen with a floating film reel appeared at the center of the stage a few feet away from them.

"Another one," Aqua said.

Riku nodded and approached the screen, "Yepp, it leads to another memory..."

Riku and Aqua approached the film screen, before the two of them dissolved into it.

* * *

In the grand hall of the Villain's Vale, the four villains had been dismissed from Maleficent, who had secluded herself to her chambers, leaving the other four to return to their own lives while they waited for Maleficent to inform them of whatever her next intentions were going to be.

Hades stormed off through the Grand Hall, but was stopped in his tracks when Cruella called out to him. "Where are you off to?"

"Where else?" Hades scoffed, "Back to the Underworld. The dead can't rule themselves. If Maleficent isn't going to help with turning the tides against the heroes and using the darkness to our advantage, I'll just have to form a plan of my own until she's back to her usual, malevolent self."

"How delightful," Cruella said, rolling her eyes as she waved off the Lord of the Dead. She turned to Hook, "Thank God, now only the good people are."

Hook moved in closer to the white and black haired woman, noticing how she scandalously let her fur coat fall back to reveal her bare shoulders.

"Now, where were we? I believe I owe you a drink, yes?" Cruella smirked, "Surely you can't be off in a rush back to all those mermaids and lost boys in Neverland, are you? Have some time for little, old-...eh, young...me?"

"Of course, m'lady. Always," Hook said, gently taking her by the hand.

Cruella laughed to herself, raising a hand to her chest, "Oh, such manners for a devilishly dashing rogue such as yourself. Now then, what say you we drink until the sun comes up and when morning's light makes us reflect on every bad decision we've ever made in our whole pitiful lives, we drink some more to cure the hangover?"

"Sounds lovely," Hook said smiling back at her.

The two acquaintances were interrupted as Gaston burst through the large doors at the back of the chamber, descending down the grand staircase and quickly walking past the tall stone pillars where Hook and Cruella were.

"And where the hell are you off to?" Cruella asked the hunter.

Gaston stopped in his tracks, his determination completely causing him to be unaware of Cruella and Hook's presence. Tossing his container of arrows over his back and gripping onto his bow, he turned to the two villains, "I'm returning to my world. I've had enough of these useless games! Maleficent's plans may have gone awry, but I don't need her darkness when I have my own." He leaned closer towards them, grtting through his teeth, "Belle will be mine, I'll be certain of that!"

"Right, darling." Cruella rolled her eyes and scoffed, replying sarcastically, "A woman always loves it when you take away her agency and freedom."

"I don't care!" Gaston's voice echoed through the castle as he growled, "She will be mine! I've waited long enough! She's shunned me too many times, but now, I have a plan that will force her hand...and she'll have no choice but to have me as her husband! I don't care about her prince! Or her father or her friends! I'll destroy them all if it means having her!"

Cruella clutched a hand to her head in pain, "Oh, you sad, muscled moron. You really don't get love, do you?"

"I don't need love as long as I can have her," Gaston shot back.

Hook turned to Gaston, "And you're going back to your world on your own without any help?"

"I don't need the help. The townspeople back in my world adore me," Gaston spat. "They'll do whatever I ask of them, the fools - blinded by adoration, though I can't blame them when their praise is given to someone as perfect as me."

"Then, enjoy your trip." Cruella said, "But take some advice - your muscles can only do so much to wrap themselves around Belle's pure heart...when your brains the size of a peanut."

"Take advice from you? Ha, please..." Gaston scoffed and sneered at Cruella, "I don't need anyone's help, certainly no woman's..."

"Oh, yes. Arrogant, conceited and sexist all in one evening. Enjoy your looks, darling, because they are the ONLY thing you have going for you," Cruella fluffed her coat up and approached the hunter, wagging her gloved fingers in his face. "And let's get one thing straight, you pea-brained, nitwit, jackass! You may not want anyone's help, but a WOMAN will get the job done quicker, faster and BETTER than your disrespectful arse ever could! You better just run right along now and try to win Belle over with your 'charming' personality, but you'd have better luck sticking your tallywacker in a thorn bush."

Gaston sneered and turned his back on them, "I don't need anyone's help to get what I desire - Belle WILL be mine!" He summoned a corridor of darkness before him then and made his way inside, disappearing from the grand hall.

Cruella huffed up and scowled, "Moron."

"Remember when we all worked together and were cordial," Hook asked.

"Oh right. Those first five minutes where nobody talked was great," Cruella said, fluffing her coat up and making her way towards the corridor of darkness.

"You're following him?" Hook asked. "After everything that just happened, you'd go after him? To help him?"

"Help him, love?" Cruella smirked, "I'm just going because I want to watch in hopes he'd get his ass handed to him." She turned and entered into the corridor of darkness, followed by Hook.

* * *

Aqua and Riku were transported to a different part of Mickey's memory then, as the two of them found themselves in a new forest, much more dense, wider, vaster.

"Where are we now," Aqua asked, looking around at the deep forest.

"I don't know," Riku said, searching for a forest path. "I think I see a break in the woods that way...could be a cliff or a landing or something." He said, before making his way through the wood, with Aqua following closely behind him.

It was only a few steps further into the forest, before Riku found himself tripping forward and into the ground below. He caught himself with his hands and looked back to see a small imprint in the forest ground which he hadn't noticed earlier partly because of the leaves that scattered the floor.

"Are you alright," Aqua asked, lending a hand to help Riku back up to his feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, looking down to brush the dirt off his pants. When he had looked down, he had noticed only then what he and Aqua had been standing in.

Spreading out wide beneath their feet, Aqua and Riku realized that they had found themselves right in the middle of the imprint of a huge footprint imbedded into the forest ground.

Riku looked down in disbelief, "What the he-"

"What could have left something this size?" Aqua asked.

"I don't know," Riku said, moving a few paces forward to the edge of the forest. "But if we stay in this part of Mickey's memory longer, I have a feeling we're going to find out."

The two of them made their way to the edge of the forest, making their way through the trees, before Aqua spotted something quite unusual in the distance that made her freeze in place.

"Say, Riku..." Aqua began.

"Yeah," he turned back to her, curious.

She took a few more paces forward, stopping at a cliff at the edge of the forest which looked over a large grassy plain and a nearby village, "You don't happen to believe in...giants, do you?"

"I...don't know," He followed after her, "Why?"

She pointed forward ahead of them, directing his attention towards the massive, green beanstalk which grew from the earth and stretched all the way to the clouded heavens above.

Riku gulped, looking up at the beanstalk which stretched for miles into the air. "Please don't tell me we're gonna have to climb that thing..."

It was then that the two of them spotted Mickey in peasant's clothes jumping from leaf to leaf as he made his way up the beanstalk.

Aqua's face grew determined and she smirked, "...Oh yeah."

* * *

Lea trudged his way back through the lantern-lit town as he made his way back to Merlin's house at the heart of the district. At this late hour of the night, there were very few people out and essentially no Heartless now that Noctis and his three friends were taking their security positions quite seriously.

The lack of people was considered a good thing to Lea - it meant not receiving the sympathetic looks from the passerbys when they spotted the bruises and cuts that had now appeared on his face and neck after his earlier confrontation.

It was only a short walk through the brisk night before he had made his wasy back to Merlin's house, where he saw Sora waiting at one of the benches outside of the house. The red-haired man slowly approached his friend, "What are you still doing up? You know how late and cold it is, right?"

Sora looked up and smirked, "I could say the same for you. Though, I suppose your flames could keep you warm from the cold."

"Eh, it's never bothered me," Lea said scratching the back of his head. "So, why are you still up?"

"I was waiting up for you," Sora replied back, looking over Lea's injuries. "You disappeared from us earlier. I was worried about you. Now, I see that I had good reason to be..."

"Oh, yeah...all this..." Lea said, while trying and failing to hide his injuries from his friend. "It's been a heck of a day to say the least."

"Lea, what happened?" Sora asked, concerned.

Lea gave out a deep sigh, as he took a seat on the bench next to Sora. "I finally saw Isa today...after a few months since he'd been turned into a vessel."

"Isa?" Sora turned to him, "He did that to you?"

"I can't say I blame him," Lea let out a small chuckle, though hbis face remained serious. "If I were in his shoes, I would have done far worse to myself."

Sora turned away from his friend and there was a long moment of silence between the two of them, only the hum of the street lights filling the empty noise. "What happened?" He finally said.

Lea shook his head and pouted, "Just...what I expected would have happened when we'd meet again to hash out everything. Roughed me up a little bit, told me all the reasons why he was...rightfully...angry with me...and told me he wants nothing to do with me." He gave a heavy sigh and leaned back against the bench, "Yeah...there's nothing left of our friendship to save..."

"I wasn't talking about today, Lea," Sora corrected himself, trying his best to approach this sensitive topic, "I meant...back then, when you were younger..."

Lea tilted his head back and recalled the memories, but remained silent.

"I hope you don't mind me asking. I know it's hard to talk about," Sora said. "I just...figured maybe it's help me understand better."

"No, I know," Lea nodded, "It's okay."

Sora turned to look at his friend, "Not long ago, you told me that you had some something a long time ago to Isa... something that had ruined his life...?"

Lea nodded and looked up towards the sky, feeling the coldness of the air around him finally send a frigid shiver up his skin.

"What happened?" Sora asked again.

Lea took a deep breath and played the memories again in his mind, wondering why things had to happen the way they did...Why he made the decisions he made...Why he lost his best friend.

"I don't understand. Even now, I still don't understand why things happened the way they did," Lea began, clearing his throat as he spoke. "We were best friends...We'd planned to see the worlds together, just like you and Riku...but, then everything changed...he changed...because I betrayed him...and everything I did...it changed everything..."

* * *

 _Lea and Isa made their way through the castle halls, making their way back home after their daily routine at the usual spot. They made their way into the large square chamber at the far ends of the halls._

 _"You really think a raft could get us over the sea, though?" Isa asked his best friend._

 _Lea smirked and laughed, "I don't know, but we have to think of something...Hmm, how far could a raft really take us, though. You think all the way to other worlds?"_

 _Isa let out a small laugh, "I don't know. I guess we'll just have to thi-"_

 _Isa was cut off when the two of them heard a noise, a sickly noise, come from Ansem's study. It was a cry of anguish._

 _There was a moment of silence between the two, before Lea turned to Isa and whispered, "You heard that, right?"_

 _"Y-yeah," Isa said, looking down the dark hall in the direction it came from. "What do you suppose it was?"_

 _"I...I don't know. I was sure the castle was empty except for the guards at the front...," Lea instinctively clutched onto Isa when there was another cry of despair, this time, coming from a different voice. He took a few steps closer towards the dark hall._

 _Isa protectively grabbed his friend's hand and pulled him away, "Lea, what are you doing!?" he whispered. "Are you crazy? Don't go down that way. You don't know what's down there."_

 _"Isa, you hear that right?" There was another cry then. This time, it sounded like it came from a smaller boy. "People could be getting hurt in there."_

 _"And we could be getting hurt in there, too if we act recklessly." Isa tried to reason and turned to the dark hall, "We don't know what's down there, Lea."_

 _"We should at least try and find out though." Lea continued, "What if it's something that could hurt the town? If something like that were to happen and there was something we could have done about it, you know we would be disappointed with ourselves."_

 _Isa thought over his friend's words and Lea did have a point. He sighed and whispered back, "Fine, but if it's dangerous in there, we pull back and get out of here. Understood?"_

 _"Got it," Lea gave Isa a thumbs up and winked, before pulling out his two toy chakram weapons. "Besides, if anything bad is down there, I'll smoke 'em out real good."_

 _Isa rolled his eyes and smirked, "I'm sure you will..."_

 _The two teenage boys crept down the dark hall, hearing muffled voices coming from the short distance away. They turned around the corner and at the end of the long hall before them, was a slightly opened door, the light from the room inside streaming into the darkness of the hallway._

 _"Isn't this Ansem the Wise's study?" Lea turned to Isa and asked, "This is where he and his apprentices do who knows what?"_

 _Isa placed a single finger against his lips, telling Lea to be quieter, before whispering back. "I think so. While sneaking around the castle, I saw them a lot of the time...but I've never heard something like that come from here..."_

 _The boys crept closer to the open door way, close enough to get a peak inside. When they peered inside the room, they could see that the main study was empty, but at the side wall, a secret passage led the way to his computer room, where they heard muffled voices._

 _"Whatever it is, it's coming from back there," Lea said, slowly pushing the door open to give them a better view, but when they still couldn't see enough of what was happening, Lea slid himself between the small crack of the door._

 _Isa gripped onto him, "What are you doing? That's far enough!" he whispered._

 _"Isa, we got this far. There's no turning back now," Lea said shaking Isa's hand from him._

 _Isa silently cursed to himself, feeling as though he and his friend were walking straight into a trap. Though, he remained fiercely loyal to his best friend and would be there to protect him, so without another word, Isa crept into the study._

 _Once inside, the two boys remained locked in fear and became paralyzed when they saw two forms lying there on the floor of the study. They recognized these forms as Dilan and Aeleus - the castle guards they had evaded on many occasions._

 _"What's happened to them?" Isa asked, scared._

 _Lea shook his head, "I-I don't know."_

 _The two forms faded and glowed, almost becoming translucent, before their bodies faded away entirely. They didn't understand what they had just witnessed, but they would soon find out._

 _The two of them silently tip-toed around the books and smashed glass containers that cluttered the floor of the room and leaned over to peer into the other room, spotting the figures which the other voices belonged to._

 _In the computer lab, on the floor, they could make out at least two more forms which had collapsed to the ground before fading away._

 _They saw a man with a red scarf around his neck and an eye-patch covering one eye shout out to another figure, "Hey! Is this how you wanted it?! Xehanort! You want to fill me in?"_

 _They watched as the man approached another figure - one of the figures they'd recognized as Ansem's main apprentice. He had fully white hair and golden skin that matched his piercing dark golden eyes._

 _Xehanort, they had known him as._

 _From within Xehanort's grasps, a dark Keyblade materialized. "I am..."_

 _"Hey, do you remember now, or...wait, did you never lose your memory?" Braig questioned Xehanort._

 _Without another moment of hesitation, Xehanort charged towards Braig and plunged his Keyblade directly into his heart, unlocking Braig's heart, as his victim's eyes filled with terror._

 _Lea gasped in fear just as Isa placed his hands over his friend's mouth, as not to alarm anyone of their presence._

 _"That's not my name. I'm not 'Xehanort'." The apprentice said, watching as Braig collapsed to the floor just like his other victims, as his heart was released._

 _"My name...is Ansem."_

 _Isa turned to Lea, his eyes wide, "Their hearts! It's their hearts that were taken from within them. How is that possible!?"_

 _"I don't know, but I don't like this," Lea muttered. "We should get out of here."_

 _"Yeah," Isa whispered back, as the two boys quickly left their crouched position and made their way back to the door._

 _Lea, in his haste to escape with his best friend, didn't notice the shattered glass tube at the floor of the study and kicked the glass pieces out of the way, causing the shards to jingle across the floor._

 _Isa and Lea's eyes widened, as their heads turned back to see Xehanort now staring directly at them. He quickly made his way after them, leaving the computer room with his dark Keyblade in hand._

 _"Run!" Isa shouted, "RUN!" He took Lea by the arm and the two boys shot down the dark hall. They bolted as fast as their legs could carry them, sensing the dark presence that was close behind them. They ran through the dark halls like a maze, feeling as though they could come face to face with the dark figure at any moment if they made one wrong turn._

 _Their hearts dropped when the lights in the hall began to dim and flicker, surging, before shutting off entirely, leaving the two of them alone in the dark, twisting halls, the sound of their heavy-breathing seeming to overwhelm them and add to their fear._

 _Isa turned to Lea and grabbed the boy by his shoulders, "We need to split up. If we stay together, Xehanort will find us both, but if we split up, there's at least a chance one of us could escape."_

 _"Okay, okay." Lea breathed out, "Once we get out, meet at the outer limits! We'll find out what to do next then."_

 _"Okay," Isa whispered out, watching as Lea took off. "Lea, wait..."_

 _Lea turned back to Isa, just as the red-haired teen felt Isa embrace him._

 _Isa leant down and whispered in his ear, "Just make sure you get out..."_

 _Lea nodded and quickly ran down the hall, taking one last glance back at his best friend, wanting more than anything to take his friend with him, but knew he couldn't. He departed down the dark hall, leaving Isa to remain pressed against the wall, as he caught his breath._

 _Lea bolted down the twisting anf turning halls, running as fast as his feet could carry him. Sprinting through the pitch black darkness was disorienting to say the least and Lea felt himself wandering futher and further into the darkness. After what seemed like hours, Lea finally collapsed to the floor, feeling as though he was running in circles like a mad-man._

 _It was then when he heard the footsteps slowly approach him. He looked up, breathless, trying to peer through the darkness, "Isa...?" There was no response._

 _Instead, the figure loomed out of the darkness. Not Isa, but Xehanort, Ansem's apprentice._

 _Lea quickly shot to his feet, feeling his back press against the wall. "You...y-you're Xehanort." He said, placing his hand over his heart as if trying to protect it._

 _Xehanort let out a small laugh, "Yes. I sense a strong heart within you, boy."_

 _Lea felt himself press further back into the wall, trying to get away from the man. "Please, don't..."_

 _"Where's the other boy you were here with? The one you think I don't know about?" Xehanort asked._

 _"I'm not telling you!" Lea spat back._

 _Xehanort gave Lea an innocent, but dark smile. "Let me make this very simple for you." He summoned his Keyblade to his grasps and pointed it directly over Lea's heart. "If you tell me where he is, I'll let you go. But if you don't tell me where he is, I'll find him, take his...and then go after yours..."_

 _Lea gritted through his teeth, as his eyes widened, contemplating his decision._

 _Isa remained in the quiet darkness before, he took a few steps forward down the hall. He ran through the twisting maze of dark halls, feeling his heavy breathing echo off the walls. He ran for a minutes on end, unable to find the escape from the hall, almost as if the exit had vanished entirely. It felt like he was driven mad, running endlessly through the dark until he finally pressed himself up against another wall._

 _He remained there for a long moment before a voice ahead of him cut through the darkness._

 _"He's over here!," Isa heard Lea's voice call out to Xehanort. "I'll take care of him!"_

 _Isa pressed himself up against the wall, his eyes wide with fear. It couldn't be...Lea wouldn't turn him in to Xehanort like this. They were...'best friends' or so Isa thought._

 _But soon enough, out of the darkness, Lea's chakrams flew directly towards Isa. The two weapons struck him directly in the face, leaving an x-shaped cut in-between the boy's eyes. From the hard hit to his head, Isa clutched the bleeding wound on his forehead, before collapsing to the ground in the cold darkness._

 _Moments later, Isa's eyes opened, his vision blurred and unsteady. He felt his head spinning as the cold air passed over his skin, finding himself awaking in the darkness of the castle. When his vision cleared, he saw a form come into view._

 _"Lea...?" He called out..._

 _"Not quite," Xehanort smiled down at the young boy, "Hm, he did have a strong heart, but something tells me...yours is stronger..."_

 _"No, please, don't-" Isa begged the dark figure as he summoned their dark Keyblade._

 _"How unfortunate that he would choose himself over you," Xehanort replied with a small smirk. "And here I thought...you were supposed to be best friends..."_

 _"Wh...what?" Isa asked, deep sorrow in his voice as his eyes widened._

 _"Yes." Xehanort mused, smiling down at Isa. "He'd decided to trade me his own safety if he told me your location...which is exactly what you did. He even struck you down...all to make sure I'd find you."_

 _"He...he wouldn't do that!" Isa pleaded._

 _"But he did..." Xehanort smiled, "And now, after I'm finished with you, I'll find him, too...and take his heart, as well."_

 _"Please, please, don't do this!" Isa begged,_

 _Xehanort plunged his Keyblade down into Isa's chest and the last thing the blue-haired teenager remembered seeing that night was his heart leaving his body and floating into the darkness above, before his body collapsed to the floor._

* * *

After the story was finished, Sora and Lea sat in silence for a long moment.

Sora sighed and turned to Lea, "So...both of your hearts were taken that night and you were brought into the Organization...and Isa blamed you for what happened."

"Yeah," Lea nodded and frowned, crossing his arms, "I didn't mean to give away his location to Xehanort...I wasn't myself, it all seemed like a blur that night and yet, everything still happened the way it did...and I don't know why." Lea sighed and looked up at the sky, "I've played this night over and over again in my head...and I still don't know why things happened the way they did."

Sora sighed and nodded, looking up at Lea and placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Lea, about everything you went through. I may not understand everything...but I know how much Isa meant to you...and how much you miss him."

"I do," Lea said, raising a hand to his heart, feeling a pulse of sadness within. "I'm just...still dealing with all these emotions I've locked away for so long and...just seeing Isa today, they all started bubbling over until it felt like I might have exploded."

Sora let out a small chuckle, "Hmph, well we wouldn't want that to happen."

"That makes two of us," Lea let out a small smirk and smiled slightly.

Sora got up from the bench and turned to face his friend, "You know, Lea, we're all your friends now...We're all here for you, even when dealing with difficult stuff like this."

"I know, thank you." Lea sighed, "Just...after everything that happened with Camelot and you facing off against the Replica Riku, it just...brought me right back to how my friendship with Isa fell completely apart and my world was turned upside down...I just don't wanna see that happen between you and Riku, you know. It's a terrible feeling."

Sora frowned and nodded, thinking back to earlier in the day when he thought about the potential awakening darkness within him. He shook his head, pushing the thoughts away, "Well, I wouldn't worry. Riku and I...we'll be just fine...you just take care of yourself, buddy. All of us would be sad if you weren't apart of out little group anymore."

Lea smiled and lightly punched Sora in the arm, "Aw, c'mon. You'd barely even notice if I was gone."

"No! No! That's not true!" Sora reassured, "You're a big part of our team, Lea! Really!"

Lea genuinely smiled then, "You're...a good friend, Sora. A best friend."

"So are you," Sora smiled back and helped Lea off the bench, "Come on, enough feeling sorry for yourself for one day. Let's get ourselves to bed. We have a new day of exploration ahead of us tomorrow."

The two moved away from the bench, making their way back into Merlin's house, never realizing...that Isa had been there the whole time hidden away behind one of the buildings, as he intently listened to Lea's words with tears in his eyes.

He turned back from the friends, warm tears sliding down his face, before he disappeared into a portal of darkness.

* * *

In the late night, Sora tossed and turned in his sleep. Images of darkness, Heartless and evil demons filled his mind. His skin became clammy and warm as he began to sweat. He clutched tightly onto the blankets of the small bed.

* * *

 _He was lost deep within a dark dream._

 _Sora rose from his bed in Merlin's House, emotionless. He moved himself up from the bed and walked over to the wooden door of the house, pushing it open and making his way off to the fogged streets of Radiant Garden._

 _As soon as he stepped into the street, a pool of darkness opened up beneath him, dragging him deeper and deeper into the darkness as Sora's entire body was consumed._

 _Falling...falling...into darkness,_

 _In the pitch blackness, Sora stood face to face with a figure in a tattered, ripped robe, a figure which he had encountered before - the Guardian of Darkness. Sora slowly apporached the figure, as it stood still, as if waiting for the young Keyblade wielder to reach out to it._

 _Sora stretched his hand out to the Guardian of Darkness' hood, pulling the hood down and there, staring back at him, was Sora's own face._

 _A flash blinded Sora's vision._

 _He was in the fogged town streets of Radiant Garden wearing the same tattered robe, as Riku stood in front of him. Instantly, the two met with the clash of blades as Riku summoned his Keyblade. Their blades continually clashed, fending off one another's attacks and trying to stike the other down before they could attack again. The intensity of the battle was immense, the attacks and counterattacks never ceasing, as sparks flew as the blades clashed._

 _When Sora had seized an opening in his attacks, he lifted his foot up and kicked Riku in the chest, sending the young man to the ground._

 _Riku winced in pain, but before Sora could approach, he back flipped onto his feet and again, their blades clashed with one another. Riku clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, trying to use all of his power to fend Sora off and push him back with his Keyblade. As Riku tried to fend off Sora, he caught a glimpse into his former friends's glowing golden brown eyes, masked beneath the shadows of his hood._

 _The glance was soon over though, as within a moment, the battle resumed. Riku encircled his Keyblade in the air, angling it down to strike Sora down - but the brown-haired young man had anticipated the attack and blocked the Keyblade with his own, sending Riku's blade flying through the air._

 _Riku watched in terror as he looked behind him, seeing his weapon clatter to the ground, out of reach._

 _He turned his face around just in time to see Sora impale their blade right through his chest, a sharp cry of pain escaping him._

* * *

Sora shot up from his sleep then, gasping for breath, as he clutched his face and wiped the sweat from his brow. He couldn't believe what he had just dreamed - himself and his fears of the darkness within him rising to new heights, resulting in a dream of himself...killing his best friend.

'It was just a dream...just a dream,' his mind repeatedly told himself.

Sora laid back, his eyes wide open, prepared for the sleepless night ahead of him. Fear and adrenaline pumped through him because of the nightmare and made it nearly impossible to sleep, not when his mind was racked with questions about his darkness, the fate of his friends and himself, Xehanort's army and the state of Kingdom Hearts.

There, he laid - for hours lost in eternal thought in that endless night, hoping the sun would rise soon and a new day would begin.

Just there, in the palm of his hand, it went unnoticed by him and lasted for only a second, but it was certain - a small impulse of darkness.

* * *

Again, thank you everyone for reading! Some dark stuff's brewin'. I hope you enjoyed! Please read and review!


	11. Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Hello everyone, thank you for waiting so patiently for this next chapter. I hope it delivers, as this next chapter takes us through one of Disney's classics, Beauty and the Beast. I really enjoyed writing it and I hope you all enjoy a good read. Please be so kind and review/PM at any time, I love hearing from you guys. Also, it's time to celebrate cuz Kingdom Hearts III is coming next year!

Please enjoy and have a great day!

 **C** **hapter Eleven - Every Rose Has Its Thorn**

 _The quiet evening streets of Radiant Garden stood in the silent night, as the dim-lit lanterns flickered like fireflies in the darkness._

 _The silence was abruptly interrupted by the sound of rushing footprints darting between the alleyways and buildings of the town. The sound of the relentless sprint was heard quicker than the howling wind as the young man coursed between the buildings, running as fast as he could from the force that pursued him._

 _Sora looked over his shoulder to find the wave of darkness flood through the town, bubbling and crashing over the buildings, like an ocean, tempted to flood the entire world. The sea of blackness coursed over the stone and wrapped around the wood of the buildings, directing its' path directly at the young Keyblade wielder that tried as best as he could to outrun his fate,_

 _Sora leapt over a stone wall and began his ascent up the steps that led to the postern above the city. If he couldn't outrun the darkness, he could at least try to surpass it above, though the darkness was building with every passing moment, unable to be stopped and soon, it would take over entirely._

 _Sora looked back, wide-eyed, as the darkness crashed through the town and began rising towards him. He ran up the last few steps and reached the stone landing there, where he came to an abrupt stop and gasped._

 _"Riku!"_

 _He called out to his friend that was standing just a short distance away from him. The white-haired friend turned to him, a look of surprise on his face. "Sora..."_

 _"What are you doing here?" Sora asked, breathlessly running to his friend. "What happened? Did you and Mickey save Aqua from the Realm of Darkness?"_

 _Riku began, his eyes widening as he looked at his friend. "Sora...Aqua is fine, but her being trapped in the darkness isn't what worries me now." His eyes looked over Sora, concerned. "You're trapped in the darkness now, too."_

 _Sora shook his head, looking at his friend, "What are you-"_

 _A pool of darkness opened up beneath Sora then and begin forcing him down into the blackness. With a shout, Sora felt the darkness latch onto him and attempt to overcome his will, pulling him down into the dark aura. He felt like his body was being ripped in half as the darkness coursed through and around him._

 _"Sora!" RIku cried out to his friend, outstretching his hand to the brown-haired young man, but he was unsuccessful at helping his friend._

 _Sora fought and struggled through the darkness, gasping for air, as he felt his entire body being tied town and controlled by the evil force that had taken over his being. "I...can't...control..."_

 _"Sora! Don't let it get to you," Riku shouted. warning his friend. "If you give it even just a small place in your heart to take hold, the darkness will take over and consume you! I know, I've been there! Don't let it happen! Fight back!"_

 _"I...can't..." Sora breathed out heavily, the image of Riku in front of him slowly fading as his whole word fell to the blackness, feeling the darkness begin to sink into his being and overcome him. Sora's eyes darknened then, becoming entirely black. "With...the darkness, you can't...stop me...from destroying...the light."_

 _"Sora, it's not about me trying to stop you," Riku cried out to his friend. "You need to stop yourself!"_

 _Sora felt his hands shake then, as he looked down at them. A dark aura flowed from within his palms as his two hands uncontrollably shook against his will. His mind and being was entirely flooded with the darkness that sought him._

 _With one final plea, Riku cried out to his friend, "You can't do this! You belong to the light! This isn't you!" He begged, "You're a hero of the light, Sora! Fight back against the darkness!"_

 _Sora looked up," I can't, because...I am the darkness."_

 _The brown-haired boy, forced his hand forward, sending a rippling aura of powerful darkness through the air directly at Riku. The dark aura tore through his best friend and ripped through him like a bullet, like a fiery, burning flame, forcing Riku off his feet and to the ground, dead._

"NO!" Sora said, abruptly sitting up in his temporary cot at Merlin's house. He was drenched with sweat and felt incredibly uncomfortable, but was moreso more relieved than anything that everything he had just experienced was just a dream.

Or rather, a nightmare, one of many similar dreams that he had all had that same night. It seemed the hours were strung together with dark dreams and nightmares within, creating an endless, sleepless timeline throughout the night. It was a long, tiring and sleepless night to say the least and the only comfort he sought to qualm his fears and night terrors was that of the comfort and warmth his cot and blankets had to offer him.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to his side, seeing Donald and Goofy sound asleep in their cots. Goofy's mouth was wide open as he breathed, while Donald muttered incoherent mumblings under his breath. He looked over to where Lea and Kairi's cots and found that the two of them were empty, which he found odd, especially at this late hour in the evening.

Quietly, he lifted himself from his place and crept quielty over the wooden floors of the cottage, careful not to wake his friends or the old wizard in which the cottage belonged to. He crept to the door of the cottage and heard the distant mutterings of his two other friends outside, only wondering what the two could be talking about at this time of night. He went to the cold frame of the window and looked out to see Kairi and Lea outside.

"What's there to worry about? You talked to him, right?" Lea turned to the young woman.

"I did, earlier today. He seemed fine...or at least pretended he was," Kairi shrugged. "I don't know. Sora's kind of good at putting up a front. I...don't know how he's feeling though. He's at least coping with whatever that Riku replica said to him."

Sora's curioisty was further piqued by the mention of his name and he listened more intently at the conversation had between the two friends.

Lea rolled his eyes, "Ugh, seriously? That fake? That replicated Riku in Camelot? That's what's bothering him? Please...when this is all said and done, we'll whoop both him and Xehanort, Sora will be a Keyblade Master along with us and everything'll be fine..."

"It's not just that. Sure, I can't help but feel that Sora has been jealous of Riku for becoming a Keyblade Master before he did..." Kairi sighed and continued. "I mean, I've known them ever since we were kids, Sora's jealousy started long before this Mark of Mastery exam..."

Sora lowered his eyes, knowing it was true. He was jealous of RIku...and he had come to terms with that and was just doing his best to support his friend and become a Keyblade Wielder, himself.

Kairi continued, "But since coming back from Camelot, I can't help but feel worried about him...like...he's not himself or something's weighing him down."

Lea sighed and placed his hands behind his head, "That's not the Sora I know."

"Me, either," Kairi said. "Ever since he heard the idea of this...'darkness' being within him, it's like that thought has consumed him. I know everyone has light and darkness inside of them except for me and the other Princesses of Heart, but if Sora's inner darkness does awaken...and he finds himself walking down a dark path, what then?"

"Well, we'll just have to keep a close eye on him, then," Lea said. "If there's one thing I've learned from being around the darkness so long, it's not to fear the person with it, but how they decide to use it."

Kairi crossed her arms and held herself, "I'm just afraid of what the darkness is capable of, especially inside of Sora's heart."

Sora had quietly crept away from the window; he had heard enough. He had been battlign with the idea of the darkness being inside of him all day. It bothered him at first, but inside, he knew that everyone had both light and darkness within them, even him. Though it unnerved him, he wanted to continue on, strong and certain, fighting against the darkness and whatever dark impulses would lurk within him.

But now, what concerned Sora more was his friends' concern about him. To him, they seemed confident and reassuring; just earlier, he and Kairi had even had a talk about how she would help him fight his darkness.

But now? When he wasn't supposed to be there to hear, it seemed as though Kairi and the others had their worries and concerns over him that they brushed away for Sora not to realize.

And that's possibly whaty hurt him the most; that his friends would instead go to each other to talk about him instead of going to Sora, himself. Sure, he happened to stumble upon a conversation he wasn't exactly supposed to hear, but it didn't change that he did hear it...and it hurt him.

It made it feel like a fraction of faith had been lost towards Kairi and the others and with a heart in fear of the darkness ahead, that fraction within Sora's heart could only grow into an ocean.

He quietly crept back to his bed, ready to endure the rest of this sleepless night, plagued with nightmares until the dawn awoke. His mind replayed the destruction of Camelot, the conversation just shared between Kairi and Lea and the countless dreams he had that night of himself falling to the darkness and destroying his own best friend.

He turned to his side and closed his eyes. In the darkness of his mind, he thought to himself, 'I could never hurt or kill anyone...especially not Riku. He's my best friend.' His eyes opened, determined.

'I won't let the darkness win.'

* * *

The next morning, the group had gathered their belongings, piled into the gummi ship and prepared for the next adventure ahead of them. It wasn't long before they found themselves flying through the sky, bidding Radiant Garden farewell yet again and continued their flight through the lanes between the worlds.

Sora's hands lightly shook as he took hold of the gummi ship's control levers. He nervously fidgeted as he commandeered the ship, fighting to keep his eyes open after the sleepless nights. His nerves had become quite apparent to the rest of the group.

"Sora, you okay?" Lea asked, "Want me to take over for a little bit?"

"No, no, I'm okay." Sora said, brushing off the suggestion.

"Sora, you look tired," Kairi said, looking at her friend that seemed worn down from his pale skin and the redness that lined the rim of hsi eyes. "Maybe you should rest until we can get to the next world."

"No, resting won't help." Sora said, knowing that he'd probably be plagued by another nightmare. He quickly shut down and changed the topic. "I'll be fine, really. Where are we off to next?"

Goofy turned from his seat, "Chip and Dale set up the coordinates to get to Belle's world since it's not too far from Radiant Garden. We're already on our way now."

"Yup!" Donald said, "It shouldn't be too long now before we get there..."

"Good. When we ;and, we'll have to find Belle and tell her everything that's happening with Xehanort," Sora said. "Hopefully, she'll help us out."

"I'm sure she will," Kairi agreed.

Goofy continued, "Chip and Dale were analyzin' the data found from this world and discovered that there was a village nearby the castle. I don't know how we missed it the first time we were here! Must be where Belle is from before goin' to the Beast's castle..."

"A village, huh?" Lea said, rubbing his chin. "Don't remember that the last time I was here."

Sora turned to Lea, "You've been there before?"

"Eh, a handful of times," Lea shrugged and leaned uo against the wall of the gummi ship. "Back when Roxas and I were working in the Organization, we had been assigned a few missions there. Was a pretty dark and gloomy place if I remember correctly."

Sora felt a tug deep within his heart, which he knew was Roxas, when he heard Lea speak of the times the two of them worked together in the Organization and couldn't help but smile for the first time that day. He turned back to Lea, "Well, the castle was cursed, after all. The Beast and all the enchanted objects inside the castle were once human. They told us so themselves last time we were here."

"Good, I was hoping so," Lea smirked. "Living your whole life as a teapot sounds terrible, if not flat out horrifying."

"Hmm..." Goofy thought out, placing a hand under his chin. "I wonder how the Beast and the others are doing now?"

"I think we can ask them soon. Look!" Donald said, pointing out of the glass window in front of them. "We're almost there!"

Sure enough, from within the glass window at the front of the ship, the world appeared from within the vast stretches of the intergalactic atmosphere ahead of them. The ship began its' descent down towards the world. As the gummi ship lowered closer to their destination, the group within looked over the sights before them.

They could make out what looked like a small village along a rolling countryside which led all the way to a wide and vast forest, which seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. The forest continued onward until it led to the base of the Beast's castle.

Then, Sora looked closer at the Beast's castle. What was once dark and gloomy was now replaced by beautiful stone walls. The dark and torn turrets of the castle were now bright and brilliant. The dreary stone arches and fallen brick were radiantlly restored to gold fixtures and cherubs that decorated the castle in an unimaginably glorious and ornate appearance. The castle stood before them, shining brilliantly.

"The curse..." Sora began, "...I think it's broken."

* * *

From the dark corner of one of the buildings in the small French countryside village, the hunter lurked in the darkness, peering up into the sky to watch the ship descend down towards the town; a town where he had won the people over by his charm and strength...and he had every intention of keeping it that way.

At least while he still could, he thought.

"They just never know how to leave a dark plan unattended, do they?" A voice called out to Gaston from behind him.

The hunter turned around to find a man, a sinister-looking evil, elderly man, standing there behind him, with a sharp grin on his face, which seemed to stretch like his pointed ears. His eyes glared like a snake. "Who are you?"

The man smirked, "I'm the answer to what you've been searching for."

"I wanted a name," Gaston sneered.

"Hmph, direct. Very well, most call me Master," the man smiled, "...but you can call me Xehanort."

"Xehanort," Gaston nearly spat. "Are you affiliated with Maleficent. I've given up on that foolish witch's plans. I work alone."

Xehanort turned away from the hunter and his lips stretched thin when he heard the witch's name, "Maleficent? I was once affiliated with her, but that was a distant past some time ago. Turns out we don't exactly make a workable pair. She still holds a fiery temper towards me for using my darkness into manipulating her so easily..."

"Hmph, that's not surprising." Gaston shouted towards the man, "Well then, why are you here? What do you have to offer me? If it's darkness, I have more than enough of my share already."

"Darkness isn't all I have to offer," Xehanort approached the man, placing a hand on Gaston's shoulder. "As I said, I'm the answer to what you're searching for. I can get you exactly what you want."

Gaston sneered out and pushed his way past the man, "Out of my way. As I said, I work alone. I don't need anyone's help."

"Not even...to win Belle's love?" Xehanort called out to the man, with a raised eyebrow and smiled.

Gaston turned back to the man and stared him down for a moment, before a low laughter started to erupt from within him. The hunter's laughter echoed down the alley between the two buildings as he slowly approached the older man. He abruptly straightened, grabbing Xehanort by the collar and violently pushing him into the stone walls of one of the buildings. "You think I'm a man so easily taken by something as meaningless as love? No...what I want, it's something far greater than Belle's love..."

Xehanort raised his eyebrow, curious. "Oh?"

Gaston let out a sneer, "I mean, no one would have guessed what I was really after...not Maleficent, certaintly not you...but now that the Keyblade wielder is here, today is the day that I finally get it."

Xehanort smiled at the hunter and tilted his head.

"Now, do yourself some kindness and stay out of my way," Gaston threatened the man, releasing him from his grip.

"It's your heart that's the problem," Xehanort called out to the man.

The hunted turned to face the elderly man, "What?"

"I may not know what you're after, but I can sense the darkness within your heart," Xehanort mused, approaching the hunter with a dark grin. "The powerful darkness surging within your heart. The darkness is strong, but...your heart is frail. It's too weak to contain the dark power inside of it and instead, it's destroying you..."

Gaston stared down the man, not saying a word in reply back.

Xehanort smirked and raised his eyebrow at the hunter, "Am I correct?"

A long silence passed before the hunter answered, "You are. The darkness in my heart is destroying it...slowly taking over...I can't control it. It's unstoppable. Soon, I'll...be destroyed."

"Then, what is it you're after, hunter," Xehanort questioned the man.

Gaston sneered and glared down the man, "Preservation. Something powerful enough to sustain my heart and all its' darkness within - a heart born of pure light; more specifically, Belle's heart."

"A twisted love - a tale as old as time, indeed," Xehanort smirked.

Gaston shook his head and laughed, "No love is included - it's her heart I desire; her life. Something so pure, it will sustain mine even at its' darkest."

Xehanort leaned towards the hunter, "And just how far are you willing to go...to take what you need to survive?"

"I'll destroy this village, her prince and that Keyblade wielder if it means taking her heart. I'll destroy everything in my way to sustain myself," Gaston sneered. "And unless you move, you'll be the first."

Xehanort waved off the man chuckled darkly, "Very well, but you'll soon see, hunter, that you'll need my help when the time comes. For I have the _key_...to get you exactly what you need..."

Gaston remained silent, watching towards the dark man as he walked towards a portal of darkness which opened before them.

"Don't steep yourself in darkness too long..." Xehanort turned to look over his shoulder at the man, "...Where the darkness lingers in one's heart, it can make one act out in the most unpredictable of ways..." he let out a dark chuckle before disappearing through the dark portal.

Gaston turned back towards the village, watching as the gummi ship landed a short distance away. From all around him then, dark shadows began sprawling around him. Stemming from within the dark pools that appeared around him, the Heartless grew and flooded out.

Gaston looked up, a dark glimmer in his eyes as the Heartless sprawled out around him, feeling the dark impulses within his slowly dying heart.

"I will have Belle's heart and her life..." He peered out from the dark corner, seeing the young man and his friends appear from within their ship. "And the boy has exactly what I need...a Keyblade."

* * *

 **Belle's Provincial Town**

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Lea emerged from within the gummi ship and took in the surroundings of the French village built into the rolling green hills of the countryside.

The village was small with many buildings crowded together, almost built on top of one another. The cobblestone streets of the village expanded out into a central courtyard ahead, where a large fountain sat at the heart of the town. At this early hour of the morning, there were very few townspeople actually up and about, but from what the group could see, the town baker was finishing up his morning baking at the bakery and the librarian was unlocking the library for the day. It was a small, sheltered town with a daily routine that the townspeople seemed unable to break from.

"Hm, seems like a little town," Sora mused.

Lea continued, "It's a quiet village."

"Oh boy! Where do you think Belle is?" Donald exclaimed, running towards the heart of the fountain. "She's gotta be somewhere around here, right?"

"Gawrsh, maybe she's at the Beast's castle," Goofy said.

Suddenly, from around them, the shadow Heartless sprawled about and caught them off-guard. The Heartless appeared quickly and struck rapidly, there were at least two dozen of them surrounding the group at the fountain.

"Heartless!"

"Hmph, so much for it being a quiet village," Lea mused, before jumping into battle along with his other companions.

The team made quick work of the dark Heartless creatures that appeared, slicing through them and destroying them with ease. The Heartless exploded in a cloud of darkness as they were done away with and were vanquished.

After the battle, they looked around the village, thankfully seeing that there were no more Heartless in sight, at least for the time being.

From around one of the buildings, the group watched as three blonde girls came running through the town, wiping the tears from their eyes as they wept. All three of the blonde ladies wore a different color dress, one red, one green and one yellow, which seemed to be the only thing that distinguished them from their somewhat rather identical appearances.

"Is everything okay," Sora asked the three women.

"Oh, it was terrible!" One of the blondes said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "We were attacked out of nowhere!"

"Those dark creatures appeared and started us," another blonde cried.

"It's unlike anything we've ever seen before!" Another girl wept, "The creatures seemed so terrifying! Oh, it was horrible! This town isn't used to dangers like that."

"You've never seen the Heartless before?" Kairi asked the three blondes.

"Oh, my, no!" One of the girls cried, "Heartless? Is that what they're called?"

"We've never seen such creatures before," another girl cried.

"Oh, that was terrible," the third girl cried. "Let's go find Gaston and tell him what has happened. He'll know what to do!" The three girls quickly left the group as they wept in fear, heading through the village to find the locally-famous hunter.

"Hm, strange..." Sora mused, "The three sounded like they'd never seen the Heartless before."

Goofy placed a finger on his brow and thought, "But last time we were here, the Heartless were lurkin' around the Beast's castle."

"I guess they never made it outside of the castle grounds..." Donald said.

"I wonder what brought the Heartless to this world?" Sora questioned before turning back to the group. "Come on, we should start looking for Belle while we still have most of the day ahead of us."

"Belle, you say?"

The group turned to an older, plump man who had been walking by the fountain with a sack of hay over his shoulder. The man had grey hair that stood out at the sides of his head and a furry mustache. He had a friendly face and smiled towards the group as he approached them.

Sora turned to the man, "Do you know Belle? She's from this village, isn't she?"

The plump man let out a small chuckle, "I'd hope I'd know her. I'm her father. My name's Maurice."

"Your Belle's father," Kairi questioned.

"Indeed, I am," Maurice said, beginning to lead them away from the heart of the village and over a wooden bridge that stood above a small babbling brook, which led the way to Maurice's cottage. "I've raised Belle in this village ever since she was a little girl, but her desire for adventure and excitement brought her elsewhere," Maurice finished with a chuckle.

"Where's Belle now," Donald asked.

Maurice walked to the side of the house and set down the pile of hay by the side of the stable for his horse, Phillip. He dusted off his hands and turned to the group, "Belle is at the castle with the prince and the others."

"Perfect," Lea said. "Seems we have a dis-enchanted castle to find then."

"How do we get to the castle," Kairi asked the old man.

Maurice smiled at the group and moved over to Phillipe and the wagon carriage behind him. "No need to worry, friends. I can help you get there. Phillipe and I know the way."

"Really? You'd give us a ride there," Sora asked.

"Of course," Maurice nodded and smiled, "To get to the castle, you have to adventure through the forest and doing that on foot could be dangerous. I'm happy to help."

"Gawrsh, that's awful swell of you, Maurice," Goofy said.

Maurice readied Phillipe and the wagon that the horse pulled, "Though, I do have one concern. When I was gathering hay this morning, I came across the most unsual sight - dark creatures that appeared out of nowhere. They scurried around me and amde their way towards the village."

"The Heartless." Sora said and continued, "We ran into three women who saw them earlier today, too. And this town has never had Heartless appear here before? They've only just been seen now?"

Maurice nodded, "Yes. I've lived in this village longer than any of the other townspeople and I assure you, we've never seen anything like that before...the Heartless, you call them?"

Sora placed a finger to his chin and thought out loud, "Hm, so something must have brought them to this town..."

Maurice huffed up and crossed his arms, "Hm, it's probably that no-good Gaston."

"Gaston?" Kairi asked.

"He's a hunter and owner of the village tavern," Maurice said and continued. "He's been after Belle for years and the entire village has a strange admiration towards him for even reasons I couldn't explain. He might seem adored and honored by the village, but he's an arrogant, self-centered man who only cares about himself! I've seen it with how he treats Belle and the others in this town. I heard he's returned to the village recently...maybe he's brought these dark creatures with him?"

"Maybe," Lea said, placing a finger to his chin as he thought, "If a heart's tained by darkness as Gaston's is, it acts like a lure to draw the Heartless nearby."

"And that's what worries me," Maurice frowned and looked at the group. "If Gaston's returned to the town, that means the Heartless will wander about, too...and they could harm the town and the people..."

Goofy turned to to the group, "Gawrsh Maurice, don't you worry 'bout a thing. Donald and I can stay behind and take care of any Heartless that want to cause any trouble. Right, Donald?"

"You betcha!" Donald said, raising his staff into the air. "We''ll blast those Heartless away! You can trust Goofy and I, Maurice. We'll protect the village while you take Sora, Kairi and Lea to go find Belle at the castle!"

"Thank you, lads. I know the town will be safe in your care," Maurice said, smiling at Donald and Goofy.

"We'll take care of those Heartless and make sure Gaston doesn't act up," Donald cheered.

"Excellent," Maurice said, turning back to the other three. "Now then, friends, let's set off. It'll take most of the morning to journey through the forest to get to the castle. We should head out."

Sora nodded as he, Kairi and Lea prepared for their journey, boarding Maurice's carriage and setting off towards the secret castle.

* * *

 **A Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Mickey Mania! - Mickey and the Beanstalk**

Riku and Aqua journeyed across the large plain before them, towards the massive beanstalk which stretched into the sky above them.

With every step they took, they noticed the crunching sound beneath their feet, as they saw that the grass of the plain had dried up and been dead for quite some time. A short distance away from the plain and the beanstalk, a small town stood in a fallen and dilapidated state. At the center of the town was a tall castle, or rather, the construction of a castle which seemed halted permanently. It looked like a miserable and unhappy place to live, like all life had been sucked out of the village.

Although, they were certain that either one of them had never been there, they couldn't help but feel as though the town and construction-ridden castle were familiar.

Riku and Aqua approached the base of the beanstalk and looked upwards at the endless trail of green that stretched into the clouds above.

"We're really gonna climb this thing," Riku asked, turning to Aqua.

"Well, we saw Mickey make his way up hear," Aqua said, looking up towards the beanstalk, as if analyzing it to try and figure out the best way to ascend upwards. "And if we have any chance of saving Mickey's mind from Xehanort and the darkness, we'll have to go after him."

Riku sighed, "Ugh, I just really hope there's not a giant at the end of this thing." He began placing his hands and feet up against the edge of the beanstalk, as if trying to grasp for a solid grip to begin his ascent.

"Why would you think there would be a giant here," Aqua asked, following after Riku and searching for a firm grip on the beanstalk.

"Well, if fairytale stories have taught me anything about beanstalks, it's that usually there's a giant waiting at the top of them...and that they aren't necessarily pleasant," Riku said, climbing a few more feet up the beanstalk.

Aqua sighed, "Great. Well, if that's the case...then it looks like Mickey might need our help more than he realizes..." She climbed a few more feet upwards, finding the right places to keep her footing over the twisting and turning vines and leaves of the beanstalk.

The two ascended upwards several more feet, looking down as the world beneath them slowly stretched farther and farther away. Though, up ahead the beanstalk stretched for miles above them, so high and far away that it disappeared within the white clouds that filled the sky.

The two of them sincerely hoped that they would reach the top before their strength tirelessly gave out, but they also knew that they had to work quickly in order to protect Mickey from the darkness and whatever dangers might have lurked at the top of the beanstalk.

"How far do you think we're up now," Aqua asked, slightly below and to the side of him.

Riku looked down at the ground and sighed, disappointed, "Maybe about...twenty feet."

"Oh..." Aqua replied back, heaving herself upwards and breathing heavily.

Riku grasped the vine above him and pulled himself up, "Yeah...this is gonna take awhile..."

* * *

Back in the village that Belle had called home, the local tavern had seen a very quiet morning, while the rest of the village had been filled with the townspeople carrying out their usual routines. The tavern was often much more lively in the evening, when all of the town would gather and drink in Gaston's establishment, often times with the hunter himself, where he would boast about his victories and triumphs, all the while pointing at the antlers decorating the tavern from more of his skilled kills.

Though, this morning, the tavern was quiet, except for one red gloved hand reaching out from under the table to grab a glass half-filled with gin.

The woman lying on the floor under the table brought the drink down to her and took a sip. "Ugh, dear. Using gin to kill a hangover. Just like the good, old days," Cruella moaned and squinted her eyes, taking in her surroundings, forgetting much of what had happened the night before. "Where am I?"

She looked over and saw Hook next to her lying on the floor, his red trenchcoat unbuttoned and his pants slightly sagging low. A few bottles of rum and steins of beer lied next to him. Cruella groaned, "Oh, what did I do last night? Was it the pirate? Ohhh, how could I forget that?"

The sultry villainous unsuccessfully rose to her feet and instead decided to crawl along the floor to move beside Hook. "Jimmy. James, wake up, darling. It's morning," Cruella whispered to him.

Hook awoke and squinted his eyes as he adjusted to the bright light in the tavern, "Ugh, Cruella. What happened?"

"I bloody think we drank our whole night away. I can't remember a damn thing," Cruella said. "Where are we?"

"Gaston's tavern," Hook said, straightening himself and fixing his clothes. "We arrived late last night when we followed him back to his world."

"Right, that pompous ass," Cruella said, taking her glass from the table and tossing the rest of it back. "At least his tavern's drinks can get mommy drunk."

Hook ran his good hand over his face, as he scrunched his eyes, "I don't remember a bloody thing. It must have been an entertaining evening, though."

"Oh, darling. I don't think the drinks were all that was entertaining about last night. I thinkwe might have had quite the naughty rendevous. Not that I'm complaining," Cruella said, as she adjusted the straps of her dress to hide her cleavage. "Ohhh James, dear. What are we to do? Well then, might as well give it another go then and have the most awful walk of shame while we're at it," she said, pushing back on the seat, ready to straddle him.

Hook's eyes went wide as the woman sat him back in the bar seat and sat on his lap.

Cruella seductively smirked, taking his hand and delicately, almost sensually tracing her hand over his hook. She pouted, "Now then, I think I've been a naughty girl...and I need to be punished. Let's see how much fun we really had last night..."

The tavern door opened then, causing Cruella to remove herself off of Hook's lap with a startle. She fluffed up her coat and stared wide-eyed at the intrusion. "Bloody hell, every blasted time!"

Gaston appeared within the tavern, followed by the three silly girls and a short round man that was named Lefou, one of Gaston's loyal cohorts from the village. The hunter turned to look at Cruella and Hook drunkenly over by one of the tables filled to the brim with empty glasses of liquor and beer bottles.

The hunter approached them, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Cruella scoffed and menaced towards the man, "Clearly making sure your pathetic ass stays in business."

The three girls audibly gasped loud, unable to comprehend how anyone, especially a woman, could talk to Gaston like that.

"How dare you," One of them cried.

"You can't speak to Gaston like that," another said.

The third chimed in, "You should learn some manners!"

Cruella sneered, "Oh, back up before I knock each of your pathetically, inconsequential, narrow, little brains out."

The three ladies cried out and cowered behind Gaston, intimidated by the black and white-haired villainous.

"Now, now, we don't want any trouble," Lefou spoke for the ladies.

"Oh, get a stool next time you talk to me," Cruella pushed past the small man and went up to Gaston taking Hook with her. "So, you're really working on your own then? You'd really turn your back on Maleficent and the rest of us?"

"Turn my back?" Gaston scoffed, "Our team with that witch barely got off the ground. I've decided to carry out my plans on my own ever since our little 'team' disintegrated last night. What about you, though?"

"I'd say we're still affiliated with Maleficent...barely, but yes," Hook answered.

"Ever since you've flown the coop, Hades has turned all...'icky' towards Maleficent and with Oaf flipping sides all for his sonny boy, I think we could all use some time for thorough self-reflection," Cruella said. "Until Maleficent develops her plans, Jimmy and I will be waiting for whatever she has up her sleeves."

Gaston turned to the two then, "Leave then, you have no business here. Tavern's closed."

Cruella smirked, "Hmph. Gladly. It's a bit too provincial for a girl like me. And with you here now, it gives me a more suitable reason to want to get out of this bloody place."

A corridor of darkness opened within the tavern then and she and Hook moved over towards it. Cruella halted briefly and turned back towards the hunter with a final warning, "Though, do be careful, hunter. We've challenged these heroes of light before...they're more powerful than any of us within the darkness would like to believe."

She and Hook disappeared into the dark portal then, vanishing from the tavern.

Lefou turned to Gaston, concerned, "Gaston, who are they talking about?"

"That's no concern you have to worry about, Lefou," Gaston admonished his friend. "After today, everything will be taken care of and this village will go back to the way it was supposed to be. You see, once I find those...'heroes of light', I'll just have to-"

Lefou watched as Gaston stopped and suddenly clutched his heart then.

"I'll..." Gaston continued, but found himself unable to speak, feeling a burning, tearing sensation running from within his heart. He knew it was the darkness stemming from within him growing even stronger than his heart was able to allow.

Lefou went to the hunter and watched as Gaston collapsed down onto one knee, a strong force seemingly taking the life out of his friend. He placed a hand on Gaston's shoulder, "Are you alright?"

"Oh, no! Gaston, what's wrong!?" One of the blondes cried.

"We'll take care of you," another girl said, rushing to his side to aid him.

Gaston grunted out, feeling the darkness in his heart act like a cement. He knew that his time was running out before the darkness within him got the best of him. He rose to his feet and clutched his fist, feeling a dark aura glow from within his heart. If he had any chance of surviving the darkness destroying his being, he needed Belle's heart - a heart of pure light to suffice his own weak, damaged one...and he needed it now.

Gaston's eyes darkened as he sneered, "I need to find that boy and his Keyblade..."

* * *

It wasn't long before Maurice had readied the carriage and his horse, while Sora, Kairi and Lea piled into the back and the group made their way off through the forest, towards the castle. They waved goodbye to Donald and Goofy as they left the village, leaving the duo behind to take care of any Heartless that might have been summoned within the town borders.

As Maurice informed them, it would take most of the morning to get to the castle and that they should rest up. The carriage trailed along the countryside path, bumping and shifting along the rocks and gravel along the way, before entering into the forest. Sora, Kairi and Lea made themselves comfortable in the carriage, watching the trees slowly pass by them as Maurice and Phillipe led them further into the forest.

"Seems like quite a twisting path to get there," Lea said, looking forward at the dark forest trail. "How did you or Belle ever manage to find the castle in the first place? It's not exactly close to the village."

"It was a mistake, actually. Phillipe and I had lost our way in the forest and were chased by a pack of wolves. Oh, it was terrible," Maurice remarked. "We charged through the woods in the snow until we arrived at the gates to the castle...and well, let's just say the prince wasn't always as kind to me as he is now."

"What do you mean," Kairi asked.

"Why, the prince - back when he was a beast - took me captive and threw me into the castle dungeon!" Maurice said, looking back at the group. "It wasn't until Belle arrived at the castle and traded places with me that the prince began to change his ways."

Lea smirked, "Well, sounds like Belle finally knocked some sense and kindness into him. Can't imagine family dinners go well when your son-in-law has imprisoned you."

Maurice let out a chuckle, "Oh, we've let the past stay in the past - but not without me letting him have it by giving him a firm talking-to! I showed him not to mess with me or my daughter!"

Lea and Kairi let out a small laugh, before Kairi continued, "Well, at least you get along now and Belle's helped change him to be a better person."

Maurice nodded and smiled, "That's what I love about my Belle the most - no matter who a person may be, Belle always manages to see the good in them. She's taught me many things after her time with the Beast - about kindess and compassion and understand," the father smiled, getting a bit teary-eyed. "She really fell in love with the prince for who he was on the inside...and there's no greater light more powerful than love. Believe me, I know," Maurice said, thinking about his late wife, Belle's mother, who had passed away when Belle was just a newborn. "Just like her mother - Belle really is something special."

After Maurice had concluded talking, the three friends sat quietly at the back of the carriage. Sora sighed heavily and closed his eyes. After unexpectedly eaves-dropping on the two other friends in the wagon talking about him last night, it felt petty, but he felt a little awkward being in this situation now, like he wanted to say something, but instead didn't want to make a big deal about it, like his friends had done behind his back, or at least so he thought.

Instead, Sora decided to opt out of saying anything, not wanting to start unneccessary issues, and took the silence as a brief moment of solitude and rest, which was needed after the sleepless night before.

Sora closed his eyes briefly, as the jostling movement of the carriage seemed to rock him to sleep.

It had only been a brief moment that Sora had slipped under the spell of slumber and into the dream world, but while there, he saw it - shadows lurking out of the roaring darkness. Thousands of beady, yellow eyes peering from within the blackness that stretched around him, as if to swallow and devour him completely.

Sora's eyes snapped open then, forcing himself awake to rid himself of yet another nightmare. He looked down and noticed his uncontrollable, shaking hands. He tried and focused his will on stopping the tremble of his hands - but they never stopped their relentless shake.

"Sora, are you okay?" Kairi finally asked.

Sora then took one of his hands and forced them both down to his chest, where the trembles finally stopped. He looked back up at Kairi, wide-eyed and taken by surprise by her sudden question. "Ye...yeah, I'm fine..." he stammered, but reassured.

"No. No, you're not," Kairi persisted. "You're shaking..."

"I'm not worried about it," Sora quickly cut her off, staring at her coldly. "Are you?"

Kairi's expression changed then, as what she just saw from Sora was unlike him entirely. It was cold and distant and that only made her sad. "I...look, I was just making sure you were okay. That's all."

"I'm fine," Sora finished.

"Good." Kairi said quickly in reply and ending their conversation on an unfinished note.

The two sat in silence, awkwardly going to lengths to do so much as not even look at each other.

It probably didn't help that Lea was sat in-between them and instead, gave awkward stares at both of them as the endless minutes of silence seemed to last hours.

Sora didn't know why he did it; he didn't know why he sounded so cold and short with her, especially when he knew that he would never want to hurt her. He didn't know why he was acting this way and frankly, he didn't like it, either. He saw the way she looked at him after he had spoken back to her and the sadness on her face was possibly what hurt him the most.

Though, he didn't have much time to dwell on his feelings, as moments later, Lea's voice took him out of his thoughts.

"Look," the red-head said, pointing into the forest.

The two other friends stared out into the forest and watched as pools of darkness began appearing. From within the dark auras, Heartless shadows began to crawl out from within, sprawling about the forest.

"The Heartless," Kairi gasped. "They're being summoned all the way out here. It's not just in the village then."

"Gaston must know we're headed this way and summoned them," Sora said, before summoning his Keyblade. He was about to jump into battle but stopped when he saw something unusual.

Instead of the Heartless shadows chasing after the carriage, the dark creatures instead moved in the opposite direction of the three, moving back in the direction which they came and towards the village.

"So, no fight then?" Lea questioned, raising an eyebrow at the fleeing shadows. "I mean, I'm not going to complain. Less work for us. And less work for us is always a good thing."

"But more work for Donald and Goofy," Kairi pointed back at the creatures. "Those Heartless are headed back towards the town. The two of them might have their work cut out for them."

"They'll be able to handle them," Sora said, looking at the dark auras around the forest with concern. "But still, if Gaston's darkness is so strong that he could summon the Heartless so easily, what else is he capable of? Espeically with that dark power?"

"Don't take him lightly, Sora," Maurice warned the young Keyblade wielder, before directing their attention forward. "Look. We're almost there."

From within the trees around them, a beautiful, shining castle stretched into view, looming before them. The castle was just as tall and grand as before, but the dark and gloomy setting of the castle had melted away and a radiant, glowing palace stood in its' place.

Maurice directed the carriage through the castle gates and over the stone drawbridge that led through the tall wooden doors that opened to the castle's royal courtyard. Once arriving at the stone steps of the base of the castle, Maurice halted Phillipe and hopped down from the carriage, helping Sora, Kairi and Lea out. 'Here we are. Arrived quicker than expected. I'm sure Belle and the others are excited to see you."

Sora, Kairi and Lea moved away from the carriage and began their walk up the few short steps up to the doors of the castle.

"Hmph, nice place," Lea commented. "Liked it better when it was dark and gloomy, had more personality back then."

Sora rolled his eyes, "Well, I'm sure the residents of the castle like it much better now when they're not cursed as a bunch of dishes and candle sticks."

The large wooden castle doors then opened up and a young boy with messy blonde hair peeked out. "Helloooo," he called out to the newcomers.

"Oh, hello," Kairi gently said, walking up to the young child. "And who are you?"

"Chip...?" Sora questioned the young boy.

"Uh-huh, that's me," the boy happily smiled and walked over to Sora to give him a big hug around his waist, slightly taking Sora by surprise.

Lea raised an eyebrow at Sora, "A friend of yours?"

Sora smiled and nodded, "We met the last time Donald, Goofy and I came to the castle." He knelt down beside the young boy. "It looks like the curse finally broke, just like your mom and the others hoped for. It must feel good to be human again."

"Yup! I don't have to sleep in the cupboard anymore!" Chip happily skipped. "And it's all thanks to Belle and the prince. Their love broke the curse!"

"Do you know where Belle and the prince are now," Sora asked the boy.

"Uh-huh, follow me," the boy said, skipping towards the doors of the castle. The three friends and Maurice trailed behind the young boy.

The grand hall of the castle had transformed. The large entrance chamber was long, but narrow with tall pillars that supported the archways within. A tall staircase at the back of the hall split into two stairwells, the left leading towards the West Wing while the right led towards the East Wing. At the center of the stairwell was a door which led to the grand ballroom. The dark and dull hall had turned bright and beautiful.

"Now, now, Chip...what did I say about leaving the castle doors open? You might let the breeze in," a kind older woman came to the door then. She wore a light purple dress with a white apron. Her grey hair was delicately put in a bun away from her kind and gentle face. Her entire appearance seemed to give off a warm, motherly demeanor - which any of the castle residents could see.

"Sorry mama," Chip said, turning back to shut the door behind them.

"Oh, what a surprise. Sora, dear, how have you been," Mrs. Potts asked, taking the young boy by the cheeks.

"I've been fine," Sora said, slightly pulling his cheeks back. He hated having his cheeks tugged at, something his mother had done quite often. "Things seem to be much brighter now at the castle."

"Oh, quite so. With the curse broken, it has been everything we'd hoped for and more," Mrs. Potts said, before turning to the other companions. "Why, Maurice, it's good to see you again. And who might you be, dears?" she asked Lea and Kairi.

"They're my friends," Sora answered. "Where here to see Belle."

"Aha, splendid. Unexpected visitors," another man said, coming down the main stairs of the grand hall of the castle. Sora had recognized the man as Cogsworth, the head steward of the castle and the royal assistant to the prince. Sora, as well as the rest of the castle, had hoped that Cogsworth had become slightly less wound tight now that he was no longer a mantle clock. "Ah, Sora, lad. Is it Belle you're here for? Why, she and the prince are in the library, doing a bit of light afternoon reading?

"Perfect," Sora nodded and smiled. "Cogsworth, do you think you could show us the way? Now with the curse broken, the castle seems a bit...different."

Cogsworth happily obliged, "Oh, of course. The castle can be quite a task to navigate blindly. No matter! Well," he let out a small chuckle, leading the friends, Maurice, Mrs. Potts and her son towards the grand stone steps that led to the East and West WIngs of the castle.

"Right this way, then. The library has more books than you'll ever be able to read in your lifetime! Books on every subject ever studied, by every author who ever set pen to paper. Now, if I may direct your attention to the flying buttresses above..." Cogsworth's voice faded into the castle, as he and the others left the echoing, grand hall.

From behind one of the stone pillars that supported the ornate arches of the grand hall, Xehanort peered out with a dark smile.

* * *

Aqua and Riku continued their ascent up the beanstalk for what seemed like many more hours. They had climbed so far up the tall beanstalk that they had broken through the clouds and couldn't see the earth far beneath them anymore. They had climbed so high and still above them, the beantalk continued to stretch until it was just a dot in the sky.

"How much longer do you think this goes," Aqua asked, hoisting herself up. "I feel like I've been climbing for days."

"Ugh, me too," RIku said, pulling himself up, feeling the burn in his arms from the endless climbing. "It must have been two hours at least, maybe three. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."

"Remember, we're doing this for Mickey," Aqua reminded and then hopefully reassured, "We should be more than halfway through now."

Without notice, Riku grabbed onto a faulty vine and found himself losing his grip on the beanstalk, bringing the vine with him. "Ah!" He found himself freefalling downward for a brief moment. Of all the ways to go out, he certainly didn't expect it to be by catapulting down the side of a beanstalk.

Aqua quickly reache downward, holding her up onto the beanstalk with one hand and grabbed Riku's hand before he could fall and slip away any further. She struggled to keep herself up with her single-handed grip on the beanstalk, but hoisted RIku up next to her, as he safely regained his grip on the beanstalk.

"You okay?" Aqua asked her friend.

Riku breathed heavily, feeling a rush of adrenaline still rush within him, "Y-yeah. I'm fine. I just...wasn't watching where I was going."

"Let's not make anymore slip-ups like that," Aqua said, before the two of them continued their upward ascent.

It wasn't long before they had reached a part of the beanstalk where a cluster of leaves and vines had gathered, almost like a small nest to the side of the beanstalk.

Aqua climbed up and carefully placed her footing along the cluster of leaves and vines, seeing that it was secure. She breathed out, thankful that she could rest her arms for a bit and took a seat. "Can we take a break? I think we could use some rest."

"Here? You want to rest here," Riku questioned.

"You just nearly fell down the side of a beanstalk. I think we need it," Aqua smirked. "Besides, I don't see anywhere else to rest. And if we're going to get to the top of this thing, we'll have to do it without our strength giving out."

Riku raised his eyebrows, but nodded at her reasoning. She was right, after all. If they were going to continue onward, they would have to do what they could to survive. He moved away from the beanstalk and sat beside her.

The two of them looked over the leaves that acted like a nest for them and stared down at the world below them. The clouds traveled quickly beneath them, blocking out the earth from view. They took a long moment to rest.

Riku sighed, "You know, it's moments like this where I realize just how big of an adventure we're all on together."

"Hm?" Aqua turned to him.

"It's just more than I would have expected," Riku said. "Back when Sora, Kairi and I were living on that island, we'd only ever dream of exploring the outside worlds...but we'd never really know what awaited once we got there. And now, here I am, climbing up a beanstalk...It's just more of an adventure I would have ever thought possible."

Aqua turned away from him and nodded, smiling slightly to herself.

Riku sighed and brought his knees up to his chest, "And now, sitting here, I realize that...I've spent most of this adventure...alone, without Sora and Kairi. It didn't really turn out the way I thought it would..."

"No, it didn't," Aqua breathed out, speaking from her own experience, as well.

Riku turned and looked at Aqua, a frown on his face," Right. You know the feeling, too, don't you?...Terra and Ventus."

Aqua sighed and nodded, bringing her knees up to her chest, as she thought about her two lost friends. It had been so long without them and even now, after returning from the Realm of Darkness for such a long time, she still wasn't close to being reunited with them.

She continued, "I remember the days where...we thought we'd always be together, but now those days seem so far away. I want...what I've always wanted, was just to be with them again, but I know there are other things at stake..."

"As long as they're safe..." Riku said.

"Ven is," Aqua continued. "I know Xehanort is trying to find him, but he's in a place only I know how to get to. As long as he's there, he'll be safe from the darkness...Awakening him, however, well, I feel like Sora might be able to help with that...at least I hope so."

"And Terra..." Riku muttered, "...he's been lost to the darkness."

Aqua closed her eyes, feeling the pain in her heart over her lost friend. "...Yes. When I was in the Realm of Darkness, for the longest time, I'd hoped he'd broken free of it and had been battling it instead...but he sunk deeper in...because of me."

Riku remained quiet as Aqua spoke, "I'd give anything to go back and do things differently if I could. I'd be there for him and...try to understand his darkness better, instead...I...pushed him away because of it..."

"It's what I regret most," Aqua sighed. "I just hope that...wherever he is, he knows how much I care about him and that I'm going to save him."

Riku turned to Aqua, "You speak quite fondly of him."

"I mean..." Aqua blushed, "Well...I..."

"You are quite fond of him," Riku said, smirking.

"Maybe," Aqua smiled and shrugged.

Riku gave her a look to let her know he was not to be fooled. "Come on..."

"Oh, alright...yes." Aqua laughed and covered her face, slightly embarrassed, "We've been friends ever since we were little when Eraqus took me in, but down the line, things started...changing. And...I don't know, what I felt for him grew stronger and still does now...and I only hope he feels the same way for me, but...I don't know." She gave a small nervous laugh, as if to dismiss the subject.

Riku smiled, "Must be nice, though."

"How about you," Aqua asked him. "Do you have someone?"

Riku went -eyed out of surprise, but played it cooly, "Me? Oh, no...no. No, I don't know if that's in my future. I think I need more time for myself before anyone else comes into the picture."

Aqua chuckled, "That's respectable."

Riku placed his hands behind him and leaned back, "Well, I do hope things work out between you and Terra, though. It just seems like, with all of these battles with Xehanort and talk about the Keyblade War coming, it seems like even the idea of a normal life is impossible until after he's been taken care of."

"That's true," Aqua agreed. "All of it didn't turn out how I thought it would. But with Sora and you and the others...we'll save Ven, we'll free Terra from the darkness and...we'll defeat Xehanort."

Riku remained silent for a brief moment as he thought. An inquisitve expression appeared on his face as he turned to Aqua, "You know, I'm curious about something..."

"Hm," she turned to him.

Riku tilted his head as he spoke, "Since finding you in the realm of darkness, you've told me about your past with Terra and Ven. About how Xehanort pulled the three of your apart..."

"Yes," Aqua pressed on.

"Well, we know that he wanted to use Terra as a vessel for himself, one of his thirteen darknesses," Riku said.

"Which Xehanort succeeded," Aqua said. "As for me, Xehanort wants me dead. His accomplice, a masked boy by the name of Vanitas, nearly succeeded, too. I think...he's worried I might be able to pull Terra from his darkness."

"Right," Riku said. "but what I find curious is what does Xehanort want with Ventus to be so desperate to find him?"

Aqua thought for a moment before speaking, "That masked boy I spoke of, Vanitas - he was the darkness inside of Ven, the darkness that Xehanort extracted from him and created this...dark form. Before the three of us were separated, we fought a great battle against Xehanort and Vanitas at the Keyblade Graveyard...and when Ven and Vanitas fused back together, the X-Blade had been forged, just as Xehanort wanted."

"The X-Blade..." Riku's eyes widened in realization, "Ven is the X-Blade?"

"Well, an unusual, prototype version of it combined with Vanitas," she said. "I've thought about what had happened for so long and the only reason why I could think that Xehanort was so interested in Ventus was because of the power of the X-Blade locked within him."

"It's just as Master Yen Sid's legends say," the white-haired young man started. "The X-Blade, the original Keyblade, had been created and in the wake of the Keyblade War, was shattered into seven lights and thirteen darknesses..."

"Which is why Xehanort needs all of them to gather and begin this new war; to get the X-Blade," Aqua finished. "Using Ven and Vanitas was just a quicker, alternate route that didn't stick."

Riku appeared deep in thought, as he spoke, "What was Ven's life like before you met him? He had to have had some connection to the X-Blade, right?"

"To be honest, I'm not too sure," Aqua replied, genuinely. "When Xehanort brought him to Eraqus, Ven could barely speak for some time. It was like he was lost to the world. He had...no memories of his past."

"Xehanort was the one that found him and looked after him?" Riku shook his head, "That just seems unlikely without him having an ulterior motive."

"Now that you mention it, it does...and I don't know why I didn't notice it sooner," Aqua thought. "How did Xehanort find Ven in the first place...and how did he know Ven had the power of the X-Blade within him?"

"And most of all, how did Ven become the X-Blade," Riku said, hypothesizing. "The only thing that would make sense is if...he was somehow there, somehow involved with its' creation at the time the original X-Blade had been forged."

She turned to her friend, thinking about what he had just said. She shook her head, "No...no, he couldn't have been. I mean, that...would have to be impossible. The Keyblade War, as Eraqus and Yen Sid said, had to have happened about a century ago. Ven's just a boy, not much younger than you and Sora."

"Then, what else would explain it," Riku asked. "He has the power to wield the X-Blade when no one else can. Xehanort sought him out for a reason."

"No, he couldn't have been there, all those years ago," Aqua said, now also deep in thought. She did have to admit though, Riku did have a point. And with Xehanort finding and needing Ventus for unknown reasons, not to mention Ventus' own mysterious origins, it made the woman question the validity of the situation. "He just couldn't have been there during the original Keyblade War...could he have?"

"I don't know," Riku replied honestly. "What I do know is that there's a lot more about this Keyblade War the the creation of the X-Blade then we know and Ven might just be the start to finding some of those answers out."

The two continued to sit there, deep in thought over the many questions they had about the Keyblade War, Xehanort, the X-Blade, Ventus and ultimately, their own fates. They knew, in time, light would be shed onto the uncertainty and unanswered questions they had.

Until then, they would rest and recover while they could, knowing the rest of their ascent up the beanstalk was still ahead of them.

* * *

Sora, Kairi and Lea followed Mrs. Potts with her son and Maurice, as Cogsworth took them on a tour of the castle, leading them through a long hallway aligned with statues of armored knights that lined the beige walls and red low-hanging curtains that hung from the ceiling to cover the windows.

Cogsworth continued on, slowly walking down the hall with his hands behind his back as he proudly talked. "Note the portiere. Exquisite in both design and texture, the deep hues of the fabric suggest a bold and powerful color palette to-"

"Is a tour really necessary, Cogsworth?" Sora asked, cutting off the man. "After all, I've been to the castle before."

"Ah, lad, that you have, but not with the curse broken and the castle returned to its' former beauty and radiance," Cogsworth answered, turning back to the group.

"Oh, don't mind him, Sora." Mrs. Potts said, taking Chip by the hand and walking up to them. "Cogsworth just can't help himself sometimes."

"Not when we rarely get visitors in the castle," Cogsworth said.

"How about the abridged version, dear," Mrs. Potts suggested.

"Right, well..." Cogsworth said, turning back to the hall. "As you can see, the psuedo-facade was stripped away to reveal the minimalist Rococo design. Note the unusual, inverted vaulted ceilings."

Sora rolled his eyes as they continued walking down the hall, just wanting to find Belle and the prince at the library. He gave a heavy sigh as the tour continued, finding it time-consuming.

"This is yet another example of the late neoclassic Baroque period. And, as I always say, 'If it's not Baroque, don't fix it!" Cogsworth finished, laughing at his own little joke, before turning back to the others. The group sat there in silence as the man's laughter slowly died down. He cleared his throat, "Ahem, well, continuing onward, the copper metal of the suits of armor were designed with-"

"Oh, no, no, no!" The group was cut off by a young woman's light french accent and they diverted their attention to one of the low walls curtains, seeing it move and shuffle about.

"Oh, yes," a deeper male's huskier french accent replied in return.

"Oh, no!" the light voice said again, followed by a flirtatious, girlish giggle.

"Yes, yes!" the male's voice said again, followed by a deep, devilish laugh. The curtains shuffled and pushed to the side, revealing Lumiere and the head maiden, Babette, who playfully fought of Lumiere's sweeping romantic pursuits.

"No, no, no!" Babette said, giggling as Lumiere swept her into his arms, "I've been burnt by you before!"

Lumiere said, "Yes, but that was back when you were still a feather duster and I was still a candleabra!" He leaned in for a kiss, "Now...we are so much better this way."

Babette pushed Lumiere back and placed her hands on her hips, "What do you mean? I thought you liked the way I looked before!" She pouted and turned from him.

"I did..." Lumiere said, with a guilty smile. "It's just...I like you better this way."

She shooed him away, "You were lying to me."

Lumiere went to her and defended, "No, I wasn't!"

Babette turned back, "Yes, you were!"

"No, I wasn't!"

"Yes, you were!"

"Maybe a little," Lumiere sheepishly replied.

"Oh, Lumiere..." Babette delicately lifted her hand to his shoulder and sexily whispered, "I like you better this way, too." She giggled.

He swept her up into his arms, dipping her back, "Oh, mon amour, Babette."

Babette let out a squeal of surprise as he gripped tightly onto her waist and passionately kissed her.

"Oh, dear," Mrs. Potts said, covering Chip's eyes from the scene, as the rest of the group awkwardly stood there watching the not-so secretive couple's romantic demonstrations.

Lumiere looked up from the kiss and pulled away from Babette as the two blushed furiously. He sheepishly laughed, "Oh,...bonjour, friends!"

Cogsworth stared, wide-eyed, "Lumiere! Why, you-"

"Cogsworth, still so wound up, even not as a clock!" Lumiere huffed up, placing his hands on his hips. "Why didn't you say we had visitors?"

"You were doing just fine making yourself perfectly busy, elsewhere," Cogsworth mimicked Lumiere's pose.

"We're here to see Belle and the prince," Sora interrupted the two men. "We were just making our way to the library...when, yeah..."

"Oh, of course," Lumiere said, kissing Babette a farewell as the former feather duster sauntered away down the hall to dust off the suits of armor. Rather than asking for them, Lumiere took the lead reigns from Cogsworth and commanded the group's attention forward. "Right this way, mon ami. The library is just up ahead."

The exhuberant man led the group down the hall and into the double wooden doors to the library. The room was huge, at least three stories tall. It was a surprise how such a large room could fit inside the castle. The walls were covered with full shelves of books from the floor to the ceiling. Books about anything and everything, in all languages, about all places, about anything anyone could think of. On both sides of the grand library were two spiraling staircases that led to an upper balcony which fully encircled around the second level of the library.

"Wow..." Kairi gasped.

"I don't think I've ever seen so many books in my life," Lea said.

Maurice let out a small laugh, "They were always Belle's favorite. It looks like she found the perfect spot at home to call her very own."

"Right this way, my friends," Lumiere said, directing the group out to the back wall of the library.

At the back of the library, a large fireplace stood with a roaring fire in its' hearn. Before the fireplace sat the prince and Belle, with an open book in her hands. With her dress pooled out around her and the prince set at her side, Belle flipped through the book and spoke out the story as she read.

Sora took a deep look at the prince at her side, as if studying him for the first time to find the similarity to the Beast he had become friends with. It was like staring at two completely different being and yet, they were the same.

The prince only looked slightly older than Belle. His hair was a light shade of brown, very similar to the Beast's former fur color and was long, loosely bound back with a dark blue ribbon. His clothes where unlike the Beast's former ragged dark cape and torn pants, as he was now clad in a loose white shirt tucked into his dark blue pants. The prince had a handsome face, though not the one which Belle had seen falling in love with, for she knew that true beauty was found inside the heart - and that was what Belle had fallen for; the goodness in the Beast's heart and his endless devotion to her.

Belle flipped the page and read to herself and the prince, "Love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind and therefore..."

"And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind," the prince finished the rest of the sentence.

Belle looked up from the book and smiled, "I never knew you enjoyed literature so much. Shakespeare's a classic."

"Well, when living through the curse, sometimes books were the only way to escape to a different world, a different life...even just for a little while," the prince explained.

"That's my favorite thing about books. There's so many adventures to tell through them. You could live through so many stories," she said, before turning to notice Sora and the other friends standing there. "Sora. You're here!"

The prince and Belle rose to their feet and turned to the friends. "Sora!" The prince called out to his friend and went to them.

"Look at you!" Sora said, looking up to the prince. "Guess life in the castle must be pretty great with the curse now broken. Though, I suppose you won't mind if I still call you 'Beast'? Kinda got used to it."

"Not at all," the prince laughed. He looked at the young woman standing next to Sora. "And you must be Kairi."

Kairi nodded and smiled.

The prince continued, "We met very briefly at Maleficent's castle, Hollow Bastion."

"How could I forget," Kairi laughed. "Belle and I were kept there with the other princesses. And, escaping that place...well, it wasn't exactly easy."

"Well, at least you found one another now," Belle smiled, before taking a brief look around. "Are Donald and Goofy here?"

"They're back at the village." Sora explained, "Your father did us a big favor by bringing us here. He really helped us out."

Maurice stepped out from behind Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts and went to his daughter, "Belle."

"Oh, papa," Belle went to her father and gave him a big hug, pulling back and smiling down at the girl. "I've missed you so much. How are things back in the village?"

"They're quite fine, but..." Maurice started.

"But?" Belle questioned.

"The Heartless have come the village," Sora said. "Or at least they've just started appearing there..."

Belle turned to her husband and then her father, concern on her face.

"Have you noticed any Heartless around the castle," Lea asked them.

The prince shook his head, "No. None. There hasn't been any Heartless since the last time you were here at the castle, Sora."

"How strange," Belle said, placing a finger to her chin as she thought. "Something must be pulling the darkness to this world. Or someone."

Maurice turned to Belle and warned, "Gaston did return to the village late last night. At least that's what all the townfolk are gawking about."

"Ugh, Gaston," Belle nearly spat out his name. "I'd thought he'd left the village for good when I came to the castle."

Maurice looked at his daughter and the prince, worriedly, "If he's come back and has brought the Heartless to this town, then-"

"We'll protect ourselves and the castle from Gaston and the Heartless," the prince said without hesitation.

"He's dangerous," Belle turned to her husband. "If he really did bring the Heartless here, who knows what else his darkness can do? If anything happened to you, I'd-"

"Don't worry," the prince said, taking Belle's hands and assuring her. "I won't let anything happen to our family."

Belle nodded, still concerned over Gaston and the Heartless. She turned back to the group of friends before her. "Is that why you've come back? Because of the Heartless?"

Sora looked between Kairi and Lea, stuttering, "Well, um...not exactly."

"What is it?" Belle asked, stepping closer to them along with the prince. "What's wrong?"

Sora turned from Kairi and Lea to look at Belle, questioning, "Have you ever heard of a man named Xehanort?"

* * *

Donald and Goofy battled through the Heartless creatures in the village square. The Heartless that emerged were unlike anything they'd fought before. The dark beings were like wolves. Though not as quick, just as ferocious with the attacks of their razor sharp claws. Goofy charged through another several of them at the same time Donald casted a powerful lightning spell over the village center. The Heartless were vanquished and imploded into black particles upon their defeat.

Donald and Goofy caught their breath after the battle. It seemed as though they'd been engaged in battle ever since the moment Sora and the others left for the castle.

"That takes care of another group of them," Donald said, sending his staff away and taking a look at the courtyard.

Goofy scratched his head, "Gawrsh, they just keep coming. That sure is somethin' fishy."

"The Heartless are scaring all the people away," Donald said. "For a really nice place, the Heartless sure are causing a mess!"

"The townspeople are too afraid to come out cuz of 'em," Goofy said. "We gotta do somethin' about that."

"Ah! Look!" Donald said, pointing towards the exit of the town and towards the forest where Sora and the others had gone.

Emerging from the trees of the dark forest at the edge of the rolling countryside, more wolverine Heartless appeared, charging down the hillside and towards the village.

"There! There's more of them," Donald jumped up, bringing his staff back to his grasp, ready for battle.

"They're comin' from the forest!" Goofy yelled. "It must be that no good Gaston fella."

"So, I see you've heard of me," Gaston said from behind them, causing the two of them to turn in around in surprise. "Though, I can't blame you. I am rather well-talked about around here."

"You! You big palooka," Donald said, staring down the masculine hunter. "You're the one who's been bringing the Heartless here!"

"Hmph, if that's what you want to believe," Gaston sneered and advanced towards the two. "Now, tell me - your friend, the young Keyblade wielder, where is he now?"

"Sora?" Goofy questioned the man, "What do you want with Sora?"

"Nothing from him - except his Keyblade." Gaston smirked, "And if he refuses, his life."

Donald and Goofy both gasped, drawing their weapons and preparing for battle. Donald stomped his foot down, "We're not gonna let you hurt Sora or anyone in this town!"

Goofy turned and whispered to Donald behind his shield, "Gawrsh Donald, do you really think we can stop him all by ourselves?"

A determined look flashed on Donald's face, "Well, we won't know until we try!"

Donald charged onward with his staff pointed forward, heading directly towards Gaston with Goofy lagging slightly behind him. At the moment Donald leapt into the air, Gaston stepped out of the attack's range, sending Donald flying into the airand head-butting himself into the library's outside wall. His body fell to the floor in a heap.

Goofy had mis-judged Donald's combat and charged onwards, tripping over Donald's body and sending himself flying through the air. "Yaaah-hoo-hoo-hooey!" Goofy fell flat onto the ground, his shield falling on top of him.

For a brief moment, Donald and Goofy sat up from the ground seeing stars form in their vision as books with bird wings flitted around their heads, before they threw their arms back and passed out.

"Now then, where were we," Gaston darkly smiled, pulling a dagger from his boot. He menaced towards the two unconscious friends, unhinged and maniacal, like the sheer idea of getting his next kill brought unquenched satisfaction to him.

He approached the two, ready to kill, when Donald and Goofy's forms disappeared under a cover of black smoke, leaving not a trace behind.

Gaston's eyes went wide as the two vanished from his sight. "What?"

"I'm sorry. I just had to stop you," Xehanort appeared from behind Gaston. "I couldn't let you have the honor of doing away with those...nuisances."

Gaston turned around and sneered with disgust when he saw the man. "You again? Why did you stop me? I could have easily slit their throats without a second thought."

"Yes, but that would have been far too easy," Xehanort darkly smiled. "They're valuable chess pieces, ones I'm not quite ready to discard...just yet. But their day will come, just like the others."

"What of them now then?" Gaston asked.

"Simple. I'm not quite ready to use those valuable chess pieces just yet - so I've removed them from the game for the time being." Xehanort turned and pointed towards the exit of the village, "They're back on the ship they sailed to this world - and with my powers, they'll be trapped there until I've sought out what I've planned in this...little town."

"And what's that," the hunter questioned.

Xehanort grinned, "Helping you, of course."

Gaston let out a single dark chuckle and rolled his eyes, "I thought I told you to leave me on my own. I don't need help from the likes of you."

"You need a Keyblade to take a heart born of pure light," Xehanort explained to Gaston. "A heart pure enough to sustain the dark one of your own without destroying yourself...I can get you that heart..."

Gaston turned from the man, "I can do it myself."

"And I can get you Belle's love," Xehanort finished, using this final bit of bait as a ploy to lure Gaston further into his clutches.

Gaston, his curiosity piqued, turned back to the man, "What?"

Xehanort smiled, seeing his lure find a catch. "Yes. I can get you a heart of pure light and I can help you win Belle all at once."

"I don't need Belle's love," Gaston said.

"Yes, of course not." Xehanort persuaded, "But...even beings of the dark, like you and I, know that it is much more useful to at least have someone rather than no one at all. Believe me, I know."

Gaston listened more intently to the evil man that trailed around him like a shark circling its' prey. He listened to the voice that came from over his shoulder and couldn't help but agree...it was at least better to have someone that no one at all.

"Why use Belle's heart to sustain you...when you can take her all for your own," Xehanort suggested.

"But what about the heart of pure light I need," Gaston asked the dark man.

Xehanort brought a hand to scratch down through his mangled white beard, an evil smile stretching across his face. "What if I told you...that another pure of heart was traveling with the Keyblade wielder and Belle at the castle now?"

Gaston tilted his head and smiled, finally understanding. "Who?"

Xehanort smirked, "The young woman, childhood friend of the Keyblade wielder - Kairi."

Gaston's smile grew even more menacing then.

Xehanort continued, "Her light burns strong for Sora and his in return for her. If something...'devastating' was to happen to her, well...it would destroy his heart."

Gaston smirked, "Sounds perfect."

"You can have everything you want..." Xehanort smiled, "...and more."

"More?" Gaston questioned.

"Indeed." Xehanort outstretched his arms as a dark aura began to glow from within him and take over his form. "I'll give you a gift - the power to control the Heartless!"

The same dark aura soon took over Gaston's form, as well, as the hunter flexed his body feeling the darkness course within it. He looked down at his hands, watching as the darkness faded into him. He looked up at the man that granted him the ability. "But why give me this gift?"

Xehanort gave a simple shrug, "There's nothing I find more gratifying than watching a dark heart grow darker...and as for yours, the darkness might be what's weakining it, but my powers will sustain you until you can take the princess' heart. Having the darkness...is having power...and with it, you can do anything you please."

Gaston darkly smiled up at the evil man.

"You know what you need." Xehanort's smile faded, "Now go and take it."

Xehanort turned from the man then, letting out a dark chuckle as he silently faded into a corridor of darkness.

Looking down at his hands, Gaston tested the newfound darkness within him and focused his energy into controlling the dark power within. Moments later, he felt the dark aura within him begin to glow, almost acting like a lure, as the Heartless shadows began to trail into the town, growing in numbers and striking quickly. As the aura around Gaston grew darker, more and more Heartless appeared.

A cry soon came from the townspeople then as the Heartless invaded their homes. They scurried about the town, as with the Heartless' arrival, all chaos began to break loose.

The townspeople ran through the village, leaving their homes behind, left in danger to the destruction of the Heartless as they fought and struck through the buildings.

Lefou ran up to Gaston, as the three blonde girls followed behind, throwing themselves at Gaston. "Gaston, what's happening? What do we do?"

"Quiet," Gaston commanded.

"Gaston, please! You have to do something," one of the blonde girls begged.

"Those evil creatures will destroy everything," another one of the girls cried.

Gaston brushed the girls off of him and climbed on top of a wagon, demanding the attention of the villagers. "Everyone! I know where the source of these dark creatures is!"

The villagers gathered in droves in front of Gaston, forming a huge crowd as he stood above them all. They listened intently to his every word.

"They've come from the mysterious castle Belle's disappeared to," he persuaded, knowing that the villagers would listen to his every word.

A smile stretched across his face, listening to the crowd gasp and scream.

"If we don't stop them now, these dark creatures will destroy us all!" Gaston riled the crowd up, "I say we storm the castle and tear it apart! Keep these creatures from destroying our village! We're not safe until every last one of them is destroyed!"

The village cheered for Gaston, slowly becoming less like villagers and more of an angry, uncontrollable mob.

"To the castle!" Gaston shouted into the sunset, as the crowd cried and shouted in unison after him. The mob gathered, leaving the village together, pitchforks and torches in hand, ready to destroy the Heartless or anyone that stood in their way.

Gaston smiled to himself, watching the mob bend to his will out of sheer terror for their lives. His dark, twisted smile grew larger, knowing that he didn't have to use a single ounce of darkness to get them to conform...and even more so, for what was to come.

* * *

Belle turned to her husband, concerned. The young Keyblade wielder had told them everything that she needed to hear - about Xehanort and his quest to re-enact the Keyblade War and acquire Kingdom Hearts, about the gathering of the Seven Princesses of Heart in Merlin's secret sanctum within the castle...and about how having such an important role in protecting Kingdom Hearts meant leaving her husband, her father and her friends behind as she was brought to safety elsewhere.

The last bit was what hurt her heart the most, especially when she had become well-adjusted into this new life of hers. Ultimately, if it meant saving the worlds and protecting Kingdom Hearts from the hands of the darkness, she knew she didn't have much of a choice to make.

Belle turned from the prince to look back at Sora, "And you really think that this Xehanort could do all of this?"

"I know, it seems impossible," Sora shrugged and sighed. "He's come up with all sorts of plans. Whatever happens, it sounds like this Keyblade War isn't a matter of will it happen, but _when_."

"War? My daughter in some war?" Maurice unhappily crossed his arms, "I don't like the sound of that."

Belle reassuringly placed a hand on her father's shoulder, "Papa, I'll be alright. I promise."

Maurice looked up at his daughter, concerned, "Belle, I already lost your mother. I don't want to lose you, too. You mean the whole world to me."

She took his hand and held it tightly, "I know, papa, but it won't be forever."

"Yeah," Sora said. "Just til we get this whole mess sorted out. Then, everything will be the way it was."

"And Sir Maurice, we'll make sure Belle is safe," Kairi added. "There's a secret place that we know of. We'll take Belle there. We're gathering all of the princesses there. They'll be safe from Xehanort until this is all taken care of."

"I suppose two wouldn't be able to come along," the prince quietly asked.

Kairi paused for a moment and then turned to Sora and Lea, unsure of what to say.

When Sora and Kairi didn't answer, Lea did by shaking his head. "I'm sorry. If other people started coming from these other outside worlds, it could clue Xehanort and his army into our safe location."

It wasn't the answer he wanted to tell the prince, but it was the truth. Having the loved ones and friends of these princesses show up in another world was a tell-all clue to Organization XIII. At this time, they couldn't afford to make any mistakes that would set them back.

They were on the brink of a war and sometimes, that meant making sacrifices.

Belle turned to her husband, a sad expression on her face. "It's okay. I'll be home soon."

The prince sighed, looking up at Belle and gave a faint smile, before it faded, "I know. It's just the castle won't be the same without you here now."

Belle sympathetically stared at her husband and father, knowing how hard it was to part with the both of them, for she, too, didn't want to leave them, either. But, as a Princess of Heart, she also knew that she had an important role in protecting the worlds - one that she had to honor.

She turned from the two to look at Sora, "Would it be alright if...I just had one more night here? Please? I need some time to say goodbye."

Sora nodded, "Of course."

Belle sighed, leaving the library with the others, knowing that, come morning, she would leave her family and the castle behind, not know when or if she'd return.

But she would do anything she could to help stop Xehanort if it meant coming back home.

* * *

The footsteps echoed as Xehanort walked down the long hallway, content with the events he had aligned that day - though he wasn't quite finished, not yet.

Xehanort reached the end of the hallway, stopping at the numbered XI vestibule that belonged to each of Xehanort's Organization XIII vessels. He moved through the door and stopped, watching as the vessel turned to greet him.

"Master," the hooded Organization member greeted. "What do I owe this?"

"I have a very important task for you, number XI," Xehanort said, walking towards the window that looked down on the World That Never Was from high upon the castle. "I've visted a world belonging to one of the Princesses of Heart named Belle. There, I found a hunter and amplified the darkness in his heart, giving him the power to control the Heartless."

"You would give that power away so easily," the vessel questioned his Master.

Xehanort let out a dark chuckle, growling as he spoke, "I did the man no favors. He might think he's made an acquaintaince in me, but he's simply another playing piece in my game...and I've positioned him exactly where I need him. I've arranged for him to attempt to take the heart of another Princess, Kairi. That's where you come in."

The cloaked vessel tilted their head, curious, "What do you ask of me?"

Xehanort approached the vessel slowly, staring at them directly, "Should the hunter strike and attempt to pursue Sora and the girl, do me a favor and keep their friend preoccupied. I believe you've become quite familar with him at Castle Oblivion."

"Hmph," the vessel smirked at the mention of Lea, a man which they had no fondness for now.

"Don't be afraid to get a little violent if you have to," Xehanort said with a dark glint in his eye.

"With pleasure," the vessel breathed out, before vanishing through a corridor of darkness to follow his leader's demands.

Xehanort contently breathed out, embracing the power he held over so many. He turned to the window and stared down upon the bleak, dark world with a smile.

"I think things are about to get a little darker..."

* * *

Riku and Aqua continued their ascent upwards for another few hours in their pursuit after Mickey.

"Ugh, geez, the King really did make this look easier than it is," Aqua struggled to get out as she climbed.

"It shouldn't be too much longer now," Riku gasped as he pulled himself up. "I think I can see the top of the beanstalk now."

It wasn't much longer before soon, the beanstalk took them through another plane of clouds, where they broke through on the other side. The top of the beanstalk continued then, no longer upwards, but rather took an unusual curve to the side and continued as a pathway, one able to be walked on.

Riku and Aqua continued along the leafy, green beanstalk path, watching as the clouds parted before them. The two Keyblade Masters trailed forward until they saw a mammoth castle miles up in the sky, made of stone and brick and seemingly floating on a cloud.

"Who lives here," Aqua wondered, as she slowly approached the castle from the beanstalk.

"I don't know, but I get the feeling that whatever's inside there might not be happy to see us," Riku said. "But that must have been where Mickey had gone to."

The two friends continued forward, where the beanstalk ended and took them to a flat dirt path surrounded by tall flowers and blades of grass. It almost felt like they were walking in the middle of a garden. From this point of view, they couldn't tell if they had somehow magically shrunken down in size or if it was just that everything was so much larger all the way at the top of the beanstalk.

They continued onward further until they came across another large footprint imbedded in the dirt path. Riku and Aqua carefully stepped inside and made their way over the footprints, examining the massive imprint.

"Another one of these," Riku said, looking at the footprint. "What could make a mark of this size?"

"Cinderella didn't make it, I'll tell you that. I get the feeling this place doesn't see many visitors," Aqua said. "We might be the first."

"Well, if that's not the case, let's at least hope we'll be the first to leave," Riku said, looking up at the tall, foreboding castle which loomed in the sky. "Last chance to turn back now. Got cold feet?"

"Me? No way!" Aqua said, almost sounding surprised. "Besides, Mickey's in there and he needs our help."

"I was just kidding." Riku defended, "I've been apart from Sora too long and I needed someone to pick on."

"Well, you get that one free shot, but next time, you won't be so lucky. I'll make sure that's one sparring match you won't want to be a part of," Aqua said with a hint of a smile.

"Terrifying. I'll remember that," Riku said, rolling his eyes but laughing anyway. "So, we going or not?"

"Come on, then," Aqua said, already leading the way to the castle.

It wasn't long before the dirt path led to the front steps of the castle, which moreso felt like a long grey wall in front of them, due to how small they were compared to everything else. There were a few steps that led to the tall doorway of the castle, but at this point, climbing was the last thing either Riku or Aqua wanted to do at that very moment.

"This is it," Riku said, breathing out as he went up against the stone wall, grasped the top edge of it and pulled himself over.

"Ugh, great. More climbing," Aqua remarked. "At least it's only a few more steps and not miles of green again."

The two worked side by side as they climbed up each individual stone step, slowly making their way to the wooden door. It wasn't too much longer until the steps ended and they found themselves standing on the drawbridge at the entrance of the door to the castle.

"This is it," Aqua whispered. She turned back to Riku and quietly spoke, "Just remember that whatever could be in there could be dangerous. We have to be quiet..."

Beneath the large door, there was a small crack, just tiny enough for Aqua and Riku to slide under. The two of them laid themselves down on the ground, slowly and quietly shuffling themselves beneath the wooden barricade until they had reached the inside of the castle, not making a single sound.

Inside, the castle seemed entirely made of stone. To their left was a sweeping stone staircase which led up to an upper half of the castle, where they hypothesized the giant or being kept to their quarters, while to their right there was a series of stone arches which led down a corridor and led elsewhere to the castle.

"Where should we go," Aqua asked, looking at both directions.

"Hmm," Riku thought and listened quietly down the hall to the right. "I don't hear anything down this way..." He began taking the right path, followed closely behind by Aqua.

As they turned the corner, passing under the stone arches, they peeked into the dining room of the castle, reassuringly finding it empty - except for Mickey.

Sure enough, there on the tall dining room of the table, they saw Mickey in peasant's clothing, before walking to the opposite end of the table, where he faded out of sight.

"Look, that's Mickey!" RIku said, pointing up to the top of the table. "Mickey's up there."

The two friends raced over to the table, where, with the help of the nearby chairs scattered about, they quickly scaled to the top of the table and pursued their mouse friend. They delicately trailed over the table, careful to not make a sound as they weaved through the many plates of fruits and cheeses, turkey legs, bouncing gelatin dishes, puddling flans and pies. It seemed as though the giant had set up an entire feast for themself.

They quickly made their way after Mickey and caught up with the King, quietly whispering out to him, "Mickey! Your Majesty!"

"Oh? Ha," Mickey said, turning around, seeing the two newcomers. "Do I know you?"

Riku silently whispered to Aqua, "He still doesn't remember us."

"It doesn't matter. We still have to restore the memory in Mickey's brain to get the Mickey back at Disney Castle well again," Aqua quickly whispered back.

"Have we met before," Mickey said, questioning.

"Well, yes...sort of," Aqua began, but shook her head, deciding it was far too much to explain all at once at that moment. "It's a very long story, but we're here to help you."

"Aw, really? Gosh, that'd just be swell," Mickey said, with a wide smile. "Are you here to find the harp, too?"

"Harp? What's this about a harp?" Riku asked. "Is that why you came all the way up here?"

"Uh-huh." Mickey nodded, "The harp was kept down in the town down there."

"Oh, right. The town we passed by," Aqua said with a small frown. "It didn't look too well."

"When the harp was kept down there, it played the most beautiful music for all of Disney Town to hear. It made everybody so happy," Mickey said.

"Wait, Disney Town?" Aqua asked, surprised. She had always known the town to be lively and colorful. To realize that it hadn't always been so would be a surprise to say the least. "That unhappy-looking town was Disney Town?"

"Uh-huh. One day, our harp went missing and darkness came to the land. The villagers believed that the harp was made of pure light, so...when the harp was taken, so was the light...Not even our precious Cornerstone could stop it..."

"And that's why the town looked so fallen apart," Riku said.

"Yeah, but if we return the harp, then the light should be restored and all will be well again, at least I hope so," Mickey said.

Aqua knelt down next to her friend, "Do you know where the harp is?"

"I'm not certain, but I have a hunch," Mickey said, pointing down to the other end of the table.

"Lead the way, Your Majesty," Aqua said.

Mickey let out a small sheepish laugh, "'Your Majesty'? Aw, gosh, I'm not royalty. You can call me Mickey! What's your name, pals?"

"I'm Aqua."

"Riku."

"Gosh, it's nice to meet you, Aqua and Riku!" Mickey laughed, "With your help, we'll find that harp in no time!"

The two set off, quickly following after Mickey as he scurried along the table to the opposite end. As they emerged from the cluster of plates and dishes that scattered the table, their friend led the two to the very far end corner of the table, where a larger treasure chest was sat. It was probably the most ornate looking thing in the room, especially given how large the chest seemes to me. At the front of the chest was a large lock with a keyhole.

Mickey walked up to the chest with his friends, "I'm thinking that whoever owns this castle just wanted to hog all of the light for themselves and hid it away up here. I've been tryin' to get this chest open, but it just won't work. I think we'll need a key to open that box!"

"Easy enough," Aqua said, as she and Riku summoned their Keyblades. "Here, this should do the trick."

The two Keyblade masters directed their Keyblades forward and focused, watching as a ray of light emerged from within the Keyblade and entered into the lock. There was a faint 'clicking' noise heard before the keyhole sparkled, opening the lock and causing the chest's lid to fall open.

The three of them looked inside the chest and found the beautiful golden harp sitting there.

"The harp is here," Mickey exclaimed. "So, the giant did take it! I gotta get it back down there to the town and restore the light."

"You'll be the town's hero, Mickey," Aqua smiled.

"Good, we have what we came here for" Riku said, turning to the large entrance hall. "We should get out of here before we-"

A huge tremble shook the castle then, causing the three to exchange worried glances between one another.

"Was that-" Aqua started.

Riku sighed, summoning his Keyblade, as another tremble shook the castle, "Yeah. I think we have company."

"The giant! We've gotta take the harp and get outta here!" Mickey exclaimed, diving into the chest where he took the harp, which was just about the same size as him, though very light to hold.

Another tremble shook the castle, this time much closer, as the Giant drew nearer.

"I don't think we'll have time to escape!" Aqua warned, "We'll have to hide."

"She's right," Riku agreed, taking Mickey by the arm, as the three of them quickly scurried under the long dining table, the golden harp with them. The three hid under the shadows of the table, hidden behind one of the wooden table legs, feeling their world shake as another quake shook the castle coming from outside of the dining hall.

"FEE-FI-FO-FUM!" The Giant's deep voice roared through the castle, as he stomped into the dining hall. Each step made a violent shake, causing the plates and trays on the table to clatter and shift. "FEE-FI-FO-FUM," the Giant roared again.

Riku, Aqua and Mickey peeked out from behind the wooden table leg, spotting the Giant. The giant man was huge, with a dark red tunic that wrapped around his big, round belly and a head of messy orange hair. The Giant was so large, it could squash a human as if it was the size of a bug. Most noticeably though, they saw the dark aura that emanated from the Giant. His eyes illuminated with darkness.

Riku turned to Aqua and whispered, "It's the giant! The giant is possessed by the darkness."

"We're going to have to find a way to vanquish that darkness to rid this part of Mickey's memory of it," Aqua whispered back to him.

"What's that about me?" Mickey obliviously asked.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Mickey," Aqua said to her friend. "Just wait here."

Aqua quietly crept around the leg of the table, getting a better view of the possessed Giant, as he marched towards the feast on the table.

Aqua glanced over the giant and hypothesized, "I don't know if combat and magical skill could defeat something of that size..."

Before she could think any further, the Giant's eyes went wide with rage as he saw the unlocked, empty treasure chest as the far end of the table. "SOMEONE'S STOLEN MY GOLDEN HARP!"

"Uh oh," Aqua whispered, quickly making her way back under the table. "Guess there's no easy way out now."

The Giant slammed his fists down on the table, sending dishes and food flying all around the dining hall. He pushed aside plates and cups, trying to find the invaders, but alas, he did not. When his nose picked on a pecuilar scent, his nostrils flared as he inhaled. He quickly pushed the remaining food out of his way to uncover the scent. "FEE-FI-FO-FUM! I SMELL THE BLOOD OF...A HUMAN!"

Aqua and Riku felt a cold shiver tingle up their spines, knowing that the Giant was onto them and that they might meet their match soon enough.

Aqua turned to her friends and whispered, "Just stay here. When the Giant's taken off-guard and distracted elsewhere, we'll make our escape! Until then, we just have to stay hidden!"

A brief moment of silence passed as the thre remain ducked in the shadows under the table. Then, they felt a heavy tremble around them, looking up to see the Giant lift the entire dining table away and throw it to the other side of the room.

"FOUND YOU!" The giant roared.

Riku, Aqua and Mickey stared up at the Giant, wide-eyed and surprised, as the being laughed over their tiny, bug-sized forms. The Giant's laughs were so robust, it nearly caused the three to fall back.

Riku turned to Aqua, "What was that now about staying hidden? Got any other ideas?"

"Ugh," Aqua grimaced, summoning her Keyblade, before charging towards the Giant. "Plan B - fight!"

"Of course," Riku said, before turning back to the mouse. "Mickey, you take the harp and get to safety! We'll take care of the giant!"

"Okay!" Mickey cheered before lifting the harp up and scurring through the dining hall.

"OH, NO YOU DON'T!" The Giant roared, spotting the small mouse scurry through the hall with the harp he had stolen. He began to charge after the incredibly small mouse.

Riku and Aqua cut off the Giant's path, Keyblades in hand.

"If you want that harp, you'll have to go through us!" Aqua warned.

"OKAY!" The Giant let out another boisterous laugh, as it raised it's foot high into the air to stomp down upon the two. Riku and Aqua's eyes went wide, watching as the foot drew closer to crushing them, but the two dodge rolled out of the way right at the opportune time. The Giant lifted his foot up, suprised not to see the crushed bodies of the two. "Huh? NO FAIR!"

"Who are you to say what's fair?" Riku shouted up, "You stole that harp from the town down there!"

"AND I'M GONNA STEAL IT BACK!" The Giant shouted, before jumping up and landing down with such a huge impact that it caused the wooden floor to crack and huge stone boulders of the castle to fall to the ground.

Riku and Aqua carefully dodged out of the way of the falling stones and rushed towards the Giant.

"Come on, now's our chance," Aqua said.

The two of them ran up to the Giant with their Keyblades and swiped at his foot, which barely did anything. They tried to jump higher, thinking that a different spot would leave more impact. Though, when they jumped and slashed, they could barely reach the bottom of his knees. At that point, the two of them knew - at their size, there was little they could do to defeat the Giant.

The Giant laughed with amusement, as all of the attacks the two humans had tried inflicting on it, felt more like two pesky bugs buzzing at his feet. The attacks felt more like a friendly tickle than anything.

"This isn't working!" Aqua said in a sing-song tone, as she slashed at the Giant's boot again.

"Do we have a Plan C?" Riku asked, taking another swing at the Giant. His eyes went wide, seeing the Giant stretch down towards them, his hand opened to snatch the two of them up in his grasps.

Aqua's eyes widened, "Yeah - how about...RUN!"

The two Keyblade Masters quickly turned around to run from the Giant's hands, but it was too late, for their sheer size proved their efforts futile and the Giant's fingers wrapped around their waist's, crunching them down in his grasp.

"Aqua! Riku!" Mickey screamed out to his friends from across the hall.

The two let out a yell, as the Giant lifted them high into the air, right up to his eye level. The Giant let out another laugh, feeling as though the two humans were nothing but a new set of action figures; play things he was ready to be disposed of. His grasp tightened around them, as Aqua and RIku slowly felt themselves losing air and suffocating.

The Giant laughed, "HAHA! SERVES YOU RIGHT FOR STEALING FROM ME!" His grasp tightened, still.

Mickey looked up at his friends, scared for their lives as the dark-possessed Giant had caught them. A realization dawned upon him then, as he looked down upon the golden harp in his hands. "A harp...made of pure light."

Aqua struggled against the hold, feeling as though her skin was starting to match her hair as she gasped for breath, "I can't...hold on...much..."

"No, I am not going out like this," Riku said, determindely. After an initial struggle against the hold on him, about to lose his breath, Riku rose his Keyblade above him and impaled it swiftly into the Giant's finger.

"OWWWWWW!: The Giant yelled, releasing his hand open, as the attack had felt like a sharp, painful bee sting.

Riku yanked his Keyblade swiftly from the Giant's finger, as he and Aqua felt themselves falling back to the castle floor once the Giant's hand had opened. Luckily for them, a giant plate of bouncing gelatin had been placed by the Giant's foot, which they bounced off of or else they would have met their violent end upon the castle floor.

"Let's not get caught again," Riku said, quickly catching his breath.

"Well, we better get moving because he doesn't look too happy," Aqua replied back hastily, pointing out the raging Giant before them.

The Giant roared out, as he stomped his way towards them violently.

"Run! RUN!"

Aqua and Riku sprinted across the hall, as quickly as they could, knowing that they could not outrun the Giant and within moments, the Giant would surely squish or catch them again - and they didn't know which one they would have preferred.

Just as the Giant's shadow passed over them, they suddenly heard the strangest thing - the sound of a beautiful melody played on the strings of the golden harp.

The Giant immediately stopped in his tracks, looking around the castle hall with a bit of slight confusion on his face.

Aqua and Riku turned to look at the harp, finding Mickey behind it, as he traced his hands along the strings and let the golden harp work its' magic. From within the magical instrument, a radiant glow sparkled and spread throughout the castle; bringing joy where there was none, bringing light to the darkness.

The Giant blinked a few times, before the darkness in his eyes and around his body faded away, leaving the Giant to be just that - a happy Giant with a feast, living his life in the castle.

"It worked," Aqua remarked, staring at the harp and then to the Giant in wonder, as the being happily clapped and spread a wide smile on his face. The Giant seemed moved and in awe of the music. "Aw, he's just like a big teddy bear, isn't he?"

"Wouldn't have expected that out of him, that's for sure," Riku said, watching the Giant with a laugh.

"Guess it shows you that - even the darkness can drive the most innocent people to do thye craziest things," Aqua said.

The Giant let out a big yawn, stretching his arms back, as the peaceful harp continued to play, its' melody slowly rocking him to sleep. He knelt down on his knees, looking down at Riku and Aqua, letting out another yawn, "I'm sorry for causin' all that trouble. You can have the harp back. It's no good here if the rest of the world can't have its' happiness, too..." The Giant said, letting out another yawn, laying down on the floor.

"Thank you," Aqua said to the big man with a smile. "That's very honorable of you. Please, what's your name?"

The Giant yawned again, smacking his lips. "Willie..."

"Thank you, Willie," Aqua said.

"Maybe, I'll get to go...back down the beanstalk...and hear the harp's music again, if...they'll let me," Willie said, before closing his eyes and falling asleep, deep snores coming from him.

Riku chuckled and placed his hands on his hips, "Just give the people down there a little warning so they can duck and cover."

Mickey stopped his playing and looked up at his two new (yet old) friends. "It worked! A harp of pure light drove away the darkness!"

"Now, you can return the harp to the town down there and everything will be the way it was!" Aqua exclaimed, "You'll bring joy and light to the people of Disney Town, Mickey."

"You'll be their hero," Riku smiled and nodded.

"Aw shucks, pals." Mickey smiled and shook both of their hands, "I couldn't have done it without you!"

"Of course you could. It was all your idea," Riku smiled at his long-time friend. "You defeated the darkness on your own...and I think you will again soon, too."

Mickey's eyes widened with curiosity, "What do you mean, Riku?"

Riku laughed it off and shook his head, "One day, you'll think back and you'll understand then."

Aqua knelt down beside Mickey, "Well, you'd better be off, Mickey. The town needs you. Just try and remember us next time our paths cross again, okay?"

Mickey happily nodded and smiled, "Aw, after what we just went through, I don't think I'll ever be able to forget the two of you! Thanks for everything!"

Aqua smiled and waved him off, "Take care, Your Majesty."

Mickey chuckled and let out a small laugh, "I told you! I'm not royalty."

Riku shook his head and smiled, "I think when you restore light to the world down there...you just might be."

Mickey's eyes lit up, as he took the harp and waved his friends goodbye, ready to restore the light and happiness to as many worlds and people as he could.

Riku let out a small laugh, watching his friend head off.

"Do you think he'll remember us next time?" Aqua turned to her friend.

"I hope so," Riku said with a smile. "Looks like he didn't need our help here, after all. He's doing just fine fighting the darkness all on his own..."

"But I don't think our job is done here just yet. Look," Aqua said, pointing to the new portal that had materialized before them.

The two friends approached the moving clip portal, seeing the black and white vintage image of a classic-looking Mickey on it.

Aqua smiled, "He's closer to becoming the King we know."

Riku nodded and smiled, turning back to stare at the mouse as he made his way through the castle with the harp, "Until next time,...Mickey..."

The two friends vanished through the film reel portal.

* * *

In the old attic of the Disney Castle, Queen Minnie stood beside Master Yen Sid, as the old, powerful sorcerer passed his hand over Mickey's floating form. The King still remained in deep slumber, as Aqua and Riku made their way from memory to memory, vanquishing the darkness Xehanort had wrought upon the King's brain.

As Yen Sid passed his hand over Mickey, a blue aura passed over the mouse like a wave, leaving the sorcerer to study the condition of his apprentice.

Queen Minnie turned to him, concerned. "How is he? Is he alright?"

The sorcerer turned to the queen, a faint smile on his lips. "They are making progress, indeed."

Queen Minnie gave a sigh of relief but smiled, staring over her sweetheart's form.

* * *

The evening had soon settled in over the prince's castle, as the stars blanketed the night sky. The castle sat on the edge of the forest as clouds slowly rolled by from the east, slowly blocking the stars from view. The castle's windows flickered from the light within, as the residents of the castle settled down into the evening ahead of them. The quiet, peaceful noise of the crickets were the only sound around the castle, as the evening fireflies encircled the, traveling through the royal gardens, all the way up to the highest turrets of the castle.

On a balcony at the back of the castlle, Belle stood at the edge of the stone alcove, staring up into the sky. Her heart felt heavy as she spent her last night at the castle for what could have been some time. She almost couldn't bring herself to leave, but she knew she had to - for the good of everyone, for the good of all the worlds.

She sighed, looking up at the stars above her, watching as the dark night clouds slowly moved in. To her surprise, her breath caught and her eyes widened when she saw a single star twinkle for a moment...and then fade from the sky.

She looked down, concerned...the worlds really were in trouble.

"You should head inside," the prince called to her from their chamber door. "It looks like a storm is coming."

Belle turned back to the prince, teary-eyed, "I don't know if I can do this. I can't leave you..."

"Think about the worlds, Belle," the prince said, raising a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. "They need your help. We have to help Sora and his friends...even if it means having to be apart for awhile."

Belle looked up at him through her tears, "Remember when I first came here for papa...and I was so angry at you, I didn't want to leave my room to face you. Now...I don't know how I'd go a day without you..." Belle said, as the prince embraced her.

As he rested his lips on her head, the prince opened his eyes and spoke softly, "Come with me. I have something for you. It might help."

Belle gently took the prince's hand as he led her inside.

He went to the wardrobe at the corner of the room and revealed an ornate silver hand mirror. He held the object in his hand, staring at his reflection. "This mirror...was another gift left behind by the Enchantress. It'll show you anyone and anything you wish to see. All you have to do is ask to see the thing you desire."

As he placed the mirror in her hand, she carefully took it from him, staring into the reflection of the magic-imbued mirror.

"You can ask to see me any time you wish," the Prince said with a small smile. "And you'll see me waiting here for you, like I always will be."

Belle brought her hand up to delicately hold his face. She looked up into his eyes, feeling more tears well up in her own. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I love you, Belle," the prince said.

"I love you," she said in return, before the couple leaned in and kissed.

As love continued to blossom and grow for one couple, ellsewhere in the castle, it withered for another.

Sora and Kairi quietly sat on a landing of the castle that overlooked the castle rose gardens. It had been almost an hour since the two had left the castle when they saw the evening sky before them and in that time, the two of them had rarely said a single word to one another.

The silence had been getting to Kairi the entire time and she didn't know how much longer she could take it. She spoke out, "At least Belle and Alice are with us now. We only need the other four princesses now and...the Key to Return Hearts should be summoned, right?"

"Yeah," Sora replied, short and quickly, before turning to face away.

Kairi opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came. Sora's silence unnerved her, but she didn't know how to deal with it, either. Honestly, she was starting to see all sorts of sides to Sora she didn't know how to deal with, Riku, maybe, since he was used to Sora's various display of emotions, but...not her.

It finally got to her, "What's the matter with you?" She said, almost coldly.

Sora turned to her, surprised. "Excuse me?"

"You." She repeated again, "What's the matter with you. You've barely spoken a word to me all day and when you have, you've been so short with me."

"Me?" Sora questioned, "What's the problem with me? You should ask yourself that."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kairi asked, her voice raising as she stood. "Is it me? Am I the problem? Because if it is, just tell me now Sora and I'll go!"

"And that's the problem," Sora said abruptly, as the two fell into silence. "I heard everything."

Kairi shook her head, confused, "What?"

"I heard everything you said to Lea last night," Sora continued, standing as his voice wavered.

She shrugged and crossed her arms, "So?"

"So?" Sora repeated in the same tone, both sadness and anger in his voice, as his eyes watered. "I went to you after Camelot because I thought you would be there for me and you were, but...you weren't. You said you'd stand by me and you'd help me...figure out whatever this darkness was, but when things get tough, you'll...'just go'?"

Kairi remained silent as he spoke, trying to hide her quivering bottom lip and watery eyes.

"You said you believed in me, that I could fight off whatever darkness might be inside me and...damn it, I needed that!" Sora cried out, tears falling from his eyes then. He whispered out, "Because I don't believe in it myself. I needed someone who could believe I could win against the darkness. If you couldn't believe in me, Kairi, how could I?"

She shook her head, "Sora, I do believe in you! I'm just...so worried about you and I have every reason to be!" She cried, "Don't you see yourself? This isn't the Sora that I know...at least not the one I thought I knew. I'm scared! I'm scared for you because I care about you! I'm scared about what's happening to you! Apparently, you don't see it to yourself! You're changing, Sora."

Sora defended back, "Yes, because I found out someone who I thought would always be there for me...didn't put their trust in me in the first place. I trusted you! You...made me think you trusted me, too..." He turned his back to her then, beginning to walk into the castle.

Kairi quickly ran after him, "Sora, stop! You're not thinking right." She went to hold onto his arm, "Can't we talk about this?"

Sora turned to her and pulled his arm away. "Not now," he said, before walking away from her, leaving the young maiden alone on the balcony left with her worries about the light slowly waning from Sora.

From below the balcony, Lea was leaning against one of the tall pillars in the rose garden and had heard the entire exchange between his two friends. He couldn't help but feel bad for the both of them and frankly, he had just seen sides of the two of them that they didn't know existd until just now.

"Man..." He sighed, crossing his arms and walking forward into the rose garden. If there was one thing he hated more than anything, it was fighting with or amongst his friends. He was always so lively and fun to get along with, but when the vibe turned hostile, he didn't know how to react. With Isa, with Roxas and now, with Sora.

"Sora..." Lea whispered out, "What's gotten into you?"

"The darkness, of course," a robed figure appeared in the rose garden beside Lea then, leaving the red-headed man locked in surpise. "I'd be careful to not let the young Keyblade wielder's emotions cloud his judgement. He might do something...reckless."

Lea stared at the cloaked vessel of Xehanort, his eyes wide, recognizing the voice, knowing exactly who it was, "You...Xehanort brought you back into the Organization?! I thought you wanted out when you tried to overthrow it, traitor!"

The vessel laughed, "Yes, Xehanort does consider it an...ironic punishment." The cloaked man flipped his hood back, his flowing pink hair cascading down to his shoulders.

"Marluxia..." Lea breathed out, "I figured we'd cross paths soon enough..."

"Lea, you know better. It's Lauriam again," the vessel laughed. "Aligned with the heroes now? I knew you wouldn't last long in Xehanort's threshold?"

"And what about you now?" Les scoffed, taking in Lauriam's golden brown eyes, the same he shared with Xehanort - the mark of a vessel. "You just let yourself become another pawn to Xehanort and his machinations? I don't know who I feel worse for - him or you."

Lauriam let out a light laugh, "Witty as always, Lea. Like I said, an ironic punishment. After trying to overthrow the Organization once, Xemnas gave Xehanort the idea that dragging me right down into the new Organization XIII's forced would be due ramification - another life without freedom, all for Xehanort."

Lea placed a hand on his hip, smirking, "And Sora will destroy you just like the first time and you won't live happily ever after. The end."

Lauriam smirked, "Ah, well, being back in the Organization still does provide its' benefits. For example - I can finally seek some revenge on Sora and his friends through Xehanort's plans..."

"Is that why you're here?! To face Sora!?" Lea angrily questioned, summoning his Keyblade to his grasps. "I'm not going to let you!"

Lauriam let out an eerie giggle, "I'm not here for Sora. The Master has arranged a very specific task for myself while he has...'other' plans for Sora."

"What does Xehanort have planned for Sora!?" Lea shouted, "What do you want here?!"

"Simple," Lauriam smiled, darkly. "I'm supposed to keep you occupied so you won't interfere with his plans. How about we play a little game? It's called...'Can You Escape'?"

With a snap of Lauriam's fingers, Lea vanished from the garden.

* * *

The next thing Lea knew, he found himself alone surrounded by tall hedges filled with roses and thorns. He looked around, the evening night and cold fog surrounded him, creating a hazy, dream-like world. From what he could tell, he'd been transported to the middle of some maze.

"Hey!" Lea called out into the night, "Hey! Where did you take me!?"

"You're not far from the castle," he heard Lauriam's voice seemingly float above the maze. "Try and find a way out and stop your friend before it's too late..."

"Too late? Stop Sora? What are you talking about?!" Lea questioned, frantically turning around, "Sora!? Soraaa!? Can you hear me!?"

"He can't," Lauriam answered, "Find your way back to the castle and save your friend then."

"Fine! I'll play your stupid, little game," Lea said, throwing his arms down.

"The clock is ticking, Lea," Lauriam's voice taunted. "You only have so much time left before your friend's heart is tainted by the darkness...forever."

Lea gasped and his eyes widened.

"Oh, and careful, Lea," Lauriam spoke one last time. "Thorns cut."

Lea raced off through the maze, careful not to come close to any of the sharp thorns that covered the shrubs. He frantically sprinted through, nearly falling into several dead ends, running like a crazed man in desperate need for escape.

"How the hell do I get back?!"

Lea continued running off into the darkness of the maze.

* * *

On the outskirts of the village, Donald and Goofy slowly came to their senses in the Gummi Ship. The two of them were toppled over the cockpit chairs after Xehanort had transported them there earlier. With a little bit of his dark power, he had kept them unresponsive for a little while longer, but now...

"LET US OUTTA HERE," Donald said, pounding on the Gummi Ship door.

"Stand back, Donald!" Goofy said, rearing back to charge towards the door with his shield. Goofy ran towards the door, but as soon as the shield struck, a dark force propelled Goofy back.

"Careful! You'll knock yourself out again!" Donald warned. "Aww, phooey! How do we get outta this...hunka junk...stinkin'...Gummi Ship!"

"How did we get in here to begin with," Goofy said, scratching his head. "I can't remember."

"It was probably that big palooka, Gaston!" Donald said, before his eyes grew wide with concern and he jumped up. "Wait, Gaston! He was goin' after Sora and the Keyblade!"

"Oh, no! That's right! We gotta stop him and get outta this thing!" Goofy said, banging on the door along with Donald. "Open up! Hello!? Is anyone out there!?"

Chip and Dale's voice came over the intercom then, "What's goin' on over there?"

"The stupid door isn't opening! We can't get out," Donald said, trying to pry the door open while both feet were physically on it.

"We're stuck in here," Goofy said.

"Let me run a performance scan," Dale said, from the control tower of the Disney Castle Gummi Hangar. From the intercom, they could hear the sound of buttons being pressed and data analytics being distributed.

 **-PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS COMPLETE-**

 **-WARNING- -WARNING- -MASSIVE FAULTS DETECTED- -POWERING DOWN- - PLEASE STAND CLEAR-**

"Whoa!" Chip said into the intecom.

"What's the matter?" Donald asked.

"We ran a performance scan of the whole ship and our sensors picked up on a huge amount of darkness coverin' the outside of our ship," Chip explained.

"Oh, no! What can we do," Goofy asked.

 **-WARNING- -WARNING- -MASSIVE FAULTS DETECTED- -POWERING DOWN- - PLEASE STAND CLEAR-**

"We're gonna have to override our security systems and work on gettin' that darkness down!" Dale said, before the sound of rapid typing could be heard.

"Come on, we gotta get outta here," Goofy said. 'Sora needs us!"

Amidst the typing, Chip spoke, "If we disengage the protective shield around the ship, we might be able to dispel the darkness covering it."

"Just do it," Donald cried.

 **-WARNING- -WARNING- -MASSIVE FAULTS DETEC-**

 **-ENTERING SYSTEM OVERRIDE MODE- ALL SHIELD BARRIERS DISPELLED-**

"It's working!" Chip said. "The darkness is disappearing! Disabling the shield barried worked! You gotta be extra careful flying this thing now!"

"Let me run a test scan just to make sure," Dale said.

 **-PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS COMPLETE-**

 _ **-ALL FAULTS CLEARED-**_

"Woohoo!" Donald said, cheering. "We did it!"

Goofy went to the door, testing it and found that it opened without a problem. "Gawrsh, we'd better hurry and make our way over to the castle."

"Just remember to fly this thing very carefully, fellas," Chip reminded.

"Why walk to the castle..." Donald said, a mischevious glimmer in his eyes, "when we can...fly!"

Goofy smiled in return.

"Oh, here we go," Dale said.

The silent forest on the outskirts of the village was met with a sudden screech, as a gummi ship haphazardly flew above, just barely missing the gnarled tree branches, as it headed in the direction of the castle.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKK!" Donald screamed, practically flat up against the glass window.

"Come on, Donald! Buckle up! We got our pal to protect!" Goofy said, atht eh helm of the flight's navigation.

"YAAAAAAAAH-HOOOOO-HOOOO-HOOOOOEEEEYYYYYYY"

The Gummi Ship disappeared in the distance.

* * *

Sora went inside the castle after his argument with Kairi, wiping the tears from his eyes. It wasn't often that he was overcome by emotion, but when he was, he wore them strongly, for all the world to see.

He went up to the wall, placing both hands against it, as eh closed his eyes and cried quietly to himself. In a moment of blind anger, he reared his fist back and slammed it into the wall. The pain in his hand still didn't match the pain he felt in his heart, the place where anger also soared now.

He shook his head, pulling himself together then when he saw the Heartless appear in the castle's courrtyard outside the window. 'Here now, too? When will these battles against the darkness ever end?'

Sora opened the heavy wooden doors to the castle, charging into the courtyard, where he violently slashed and fought his way through the Heartless.

He cut and sliced and destroyed...like an animal killing its' prey. He fought through them, as if an uncontrollable force seared through them. None of them had a moment to blink or move or flee before they were destroyed.

He cut his way through the Heartless, rearing his Keyblade above his head to bring it down upon the shadow to realize, it was Spooky that was there in front of him.

Sora instantly froze in place, no blindly engulfed in his rage and anger, he had nearly destroyed the Heartless he had grown to care for. He remained frozen there, looking down at the shadow before him, who almost seemed to fear him now.

Then, Sora fell to his knees, tears falling from his face, dropping the Keyblade to the ground. Spooky moved beside him, placing a claw on the young man's baggy shorts, almost as if to console his hopeless, lost friend.

Sora's face was bent down as he cried, feeling these emotions he hated burning deep inside his heart. He watched as his tears slid down and fell beside the Keyblade his eyes fixated on.

"What am I even doing this for anymore," Sora whispered to himself.

"Sora..." Kairi lightly whispered behind him. She quickly ran down the steps of the castle and went to him, the distant rumble of thunder being heard above. "Sora...I'm sorry..."

He lowered his head, "Me too..."

"Well, just what I came for..." They heard a man shout in the courtyard before them. They looked up and saw the masculine hunter standing there, an angry mob with pitchforks and torches behind them. "Perfect. The Keyblade wielder has finally given up the Keyblade to the likes of someone far greater..."

Sora looked at Gaston, shaking his head, "You? Never. Is that what your after?"

"That...and so much more," Gaston said, darkly eyeing Kairi down, her pure heart within his grasps. "Its' the princess' heart I require, your friend's heart...and for that, I need your Keyblade."

"Gaston, what are you doing," Lefou quickly whispered to his friend, amidst the murmurs and shocked expressions of the crowd, who'd never think such terrible thoughts about Gaston.

Sora protectively stood in front of Kairi, "I won't let you take her heart."

"On the contrary, boy. It is you that will help me get it," Gaston said, darkly.

"Never," Sora stared down the man with anger and defiance, hatred filling his heart.

"Look!" One of the blonde girls cried from within the crowd, "That boy is associating with the dark shadows!" She cried pointing to Sora and Spooky.

"Yes, yes!" Another blonde cried, "Gaston was right! The Heartless are coming from the castle!"

The crowd roared behind Gaston, raising their weapons and torches into the air.

"I say we rid these world of those fowl vermin!" Gaston shouted into the night, "Who's with me?!"

The crowd roared louder now, spurred by their blind ambition caused by Gaston's influence.

Gaston quickly pulled out his bow and arrow, steadied his aim and shot an arrow towards Spooky.

Sora instantly reflected, using his Keyblade to deflect the arrow away and save the shadow. After deflecting the attack, Sora slowly raised his face, staring at Gaston, darkly.

"The boy!" The crfowd roared, "He saved the shadow! He's affiliated with them!"

The crowd continued to grow louder and more violent, as Sora and Gaston stared one another down.

Belle soon emerged within the castle, with the prince by her side. She was followed out by Lumiere, Cogsworth and her father. Mrs. Potts stayed inside, quickly shutting the window curtains to protect Chip's view from the violent scene.

"Wha-what is this meaning of this," Cogsworth said, marching down the steps.

"Invaders!? At the castle," Lumiere's eyes grew wide as he saw the crowd.

"Gaston!" Belle called out, marching down into the courtyard, the prince never leaving her side. "What are you doing here!? Leave us alone!"

"I won't let you harm her, Gaston," the prince said, securely stepping in front of Belle.

Gaston let out a laugh, seeing the prince and Belle together. A part of his dark heart still denied that the two of them could really love one another. "Well, isn't this charming? The beautiful girl from a small town, whisked away to the castle to save her father...all to end up falling in love with the beast?"

"He was never a beast, Gaston." Belle spat, "You are!"

Gaston looked at Belle, a scowl growing on his face, feeling the newfound darkness growing in his heart.

"I love him, Gaston!" She defiantly stood up to the hunter, "Nothing will ever make me fall for you! Your heart's too dark - clouded and blackened by love only for yourself!"

"My heart's too dark?" Gaston let out an evil laugh, one that echoed, as thunder drew nearer, drops of rain beginning to fall from the sky.

"Your heart IS dark!" Belle's father said, "You're the one that drew the Heartless to this world!"

Gaston let out another laugh, followed by the town this time. "Oh, crazy, old Maurice. Always good for a laugh."

Belle angrily breathed out, "My father's not crazy - and I can prove it!"

Gaston's eyes widened, as Belle revealed the magic mirror in her hand.

"Show me the dark being that brought the Heartless to this world!" Belle asked.

She lifted the mirror up, facing it towards the crowd and there, as the image magically appeared in the glass reflection was...Sora.

Sora's eyes went wide as he saw himself, his heart beating faster, his palms sweating. It couldn't have been him, it just couldn't have been!

Kairi turned to him, "Sora...you..."

Belle pulled the mirror down, confused at its' reflection, "No. No...it couldn't be..."

"No, I know Sora!" The prince defended, standing in front of him and Belle, "He wouldn't! He's a hero!"

Gaston scoffed, "Well, seems like heroes can do terrible things..." He turned back to the crowd, fueling their fire as the crowd roared violently and uncontrollably. The crowd began to advance towards Sora and the others in the castle courtyard.

Sora defended himself, casting his hand outward, "Stay back! Don't come any closer!"

Gaston laughed, "Or what? You'll tell us to stop being so mean...when YOU'RE the one that brought these unwanted pests to us in the first place. " The crowd continued menacing towards Sora.

"I'm warning you! Stay back!" Sora said, looking down, seeing his hands begin to shake uncontrollably...just like in his dream the night before! "Stay back...please!"

The crowd continued their menacing approach.

Sora felt a strange tingle within the palms of his shaking hands then, and then, the shadows came. The dark Heartless flooded the castle courtyard, coming in droves. Several dozen of them, growing and spurring from deep within the darkness.

Sora felt the force come from within him - it was true; he had summoned them. And he hated it. He hated that he was now capable of such a feat.

The crowd broke out into chaos then, watching as the heartless grew in numbers soon outweighing their very own. Their focus was no longer on being rid of Sora and his friends, but rather, saving their own lives from the dark creatures.

As absolute hysteria broke out in the castle with thanks to the crowd fighting off the Heartless, Gaston looked up to the stormy sky with a smile. The brief distraction was all the time they needed, as Gaston looked down to see Sora and Kairi, Belle and the prince, her father and the castle residents retreat into the castle.

Gaston scowled out, making his way through the hordes of people and Heartless. They cried and begged and latched onto him, praying for their lives.

"Gaston, please!" One of the blonde girls cried out, begging as one of the Heartless wolves tugged at her dress.

"You have to save us," another yelled, following Gaston to the stone steps of the castle.

"We can't stop...these creatures! There's too many," the third said.

Gaston reached the final step of the castle, turning back to the chaos that ensued in the castle courtyard. He gave the three girls a dashing smile and snapped his fingers.

All at once, the Heartless stopped their actions and scurried to the outside wall of the courtyard, turning to face the villagers. All of the villagers rose to their feet, brushing themselves off and thanking Gaston for their lives.

Gaston let out a laugh, before a sneer appeared on his face, "Fools. Blinded by adoration...even in your final moments."

The smiles of the townspeople fell then.

"The boy may have brought the Heartless to this world...," Gaston darkly smiled, "...but I control them now."

The villagers' eyes lit with fear and terror then.

"And now that you all know what kind of man I really am, I have no more use for you," Gaston sneered and snapped his fingers again.

The townspeoples' fears escalated when the Heartless slowly started advancing towards them, completely encircled by the Heartless.

Gaston continued, "And I've just given these Heartless a new task - destroy you all."

The Heartless lunged violently then, as the courtyard filled with the screams from the innocent villagers. Gaston watched as the townspeople were destroyed and vanquished one by one in front of him, a guilty smile of satisfaction stretching on his lips.

"Gaston, please!" The blonde girls begged, "You can't do this!"

Gaston turned from them and smirked, "Sorry ladies. I have a heart to steal." Gaston ran to the castle.

The blonde girls let out a scream as the Heartless attacked, their eyes turning lifeless.

* * *

Lea continued running through the maze, the continuous twisting and turning path becoming even more disorienting the deeper he traveled. At any point in the maze, he still couldn't make out the castle in the distance or anything familiar. For all he knew, he could have been teleported hundreds of miles away or to a different world entirely and he'd have no way of knowing.

"Sora!?" Lea frantically made his way through the forest, remembering what Lauriam said - Xehanort had planned something bad for Sora. With that knowledge, perhaps he could stop it before it was too late. "Sora!? Where are you!?" He called out, his voice becoming hoarse.

Thunder clapped overhead then, rain began pouring down from the sky. A storm had come, as the wind howled through the maze. Lea fought against the wind and the rain, struggling to keep his eyes open, holding his hands up to his face as he steered his way through the maze.

"Enough games," Lea said, stopping in his tracks. "If I can't find the path, then I'm going to make my own."

Lea summoned a fireball to his grasps, the natural ability to conjure fire within his palms that had been gifted to him upon joining the Organization. With a single flourish of his hand, Lea sent the fireball forward, watching as it ripped through the layers of hedge wall, forging his own path as the rose walls disintegrated into fiery embers.

Lea took his own path, cutting through the hedge maze, leading to any direction that would get him out of it.

"Sora!"

* * *

Gaston pounded on the castle door, which had been locked tight from the inside.

Inside the castle, Lumiere and Cogsworth were pressed up against the door, trying to keep it shut from the mad man's onslaught.

"It's not working!" Lumiere said, feeling the door budge open as Gaston kicked it.

"What are we to do," Cogsworth cried, looking at the others in fear. "If we don't think of something, he'll break the door down!"

"Mama, I'm scared," Chip cried into his mother's dress.

"Oh, Chip," his mother said, lifting him up into her arms, worried. "Everything will be alright, dear." Mrs. Potts escorted her son to the parlor, where she closed the door and locked it tightly, unwilling to leave her son while there was a mad man in the castle.

Back in the grand hall, Belle and the prince stood with Sora and Kairi, as Lumiere and Cogsworth worked to keep the door shut.

"It's no use," Lumiere cried. "That monstrous man is too strong!"

"He's after me..." Kairi whispered.

The prince turned to her, "What?"

Kairi turned to him and Belle, "Before you came, he told Sora and I that he wanted the Keyblade so he could obtain a heart of pure light...mine."

"Or mine," Belle said.

Sora and the prince looked at the two young women with concern. "We're not going to let that happen."

"We can't let that happen," Sora said, determinedly.

"Go, run!" Cogsworth said. "Protect yourself and hide while you can!"

The prince started, "But...Cogsworth, Lumiere, you can't-"

"It is our wish to protect you and your friends, Master," Lumiere said, a small smile on his lips as he held back the door. "Get to safety now!"

The prince stared at his loyal servants and nodded, "Thank you." He turned to the other three, "Come on, let's go! Let's go!"

The prince led Belle, Sora and Kairi up the grand staircase and towards the West Wing, quickly running down the West Hall and to his chambers.

As the door began to crack open, Cogsworth turned to Lumiere and smiled faintly, "It has been a pleasure serving alongside you, Lumiere, my friend."

Lumiere looked over to his friend and returned the smile, "The pleasure has been mine, Cogsworth."

With that, the door to the castle blasted open with the power of darkness, as the two men fell to the floor. Gaston stepped into the castle, a dark aura glowing around the man. He let out a sneer when he saw that his prey had escaped elsewhere in the castle. Paying them no mind and instead getting to the brunt of his work, Gaston stepped over Lumiere and Cogsworth's cowering forms and made his way towards the grand staircase at the back of the main hall.

Belle's father marched down the stairs to confront the man, "Gaston, stop! I will not let you do this!"

"Out of my way, old man," Gaston sneered, an evil glare in his eyes - one of someone on the brink of insanity.

"Never! I will not let you hurt my daughter, if it's the last thing I do," Maurice spat.

"I guess it will have to be," Gaston said, taking th man and throwing him down the stairs to remove him from his path.

Maurice fell down the steps, landing hard on his back on the stone floor of the castle, where he gasped for air. He coughed and gasped for breath as he tried to sit up, watching as the evil man ascended up the stairs to the West Hall.

Sora, Kairi, Belle and the prince had made it back to his chamber at the far end of the West Hall. They quickly shut the door and tried to find anything they could to barricade theirselves inside and buy themselves some time from the mad man. They had placed a chair and a wardrobe at the door's opening in hopes of keeping them inside for a few short moments.

Sora looked around the room quickly, "This is the end of the road, nowhere else to go. Gaston has us cornered!"

Kairi looked over from Sora to Belle, with fear in her eyes.

"No, it's not," the prince said, quickly walking over to the doors that led to the balcony outside of the chamber. "This window...from here the balcony can take you to the roof just up this ledge. You just have to travel along the side of the roof and it'll take you down to the other side of the castle! There's another balcony there! We can escape that way!"

"It sounds like the best plan we have," Sora said, running to the window with Belle and Kairi.

The door to the chamber was forced open then by Gaston's sheer strength. The air grew still as the enraged man walked into the bed chamber. Gaston evilly stared at the four in the room.

The prince stood strong, "Gaston. Stop this. Leave the castle and never come back!"

"I don't take orders from you," Gaston sneered. "You're not my prince."

Belle angrily glared at Gaston, "You'll never get what you want."

"On the contrary, I believe I've had a change of heart," Gaston said with a sincere smile, throwing his bow and arrows down to the ground at his feet. "My plan was to use the Keyblade wielder's weapon to retrieve his friend's pure heart to sustain my own, but it just didn't sit too well with me in the end..."

Sora stood in front of Kairi, protectively.

Gaston turned to Belle, "When I saw you with your prince, I realized that you'd never know my pain." He sneered, "The pain of knowing...you could never have the one you wanted. You'd never know what that pain caused me...until now."

Gaston rushed to the prince then, removing the dagger he had hidden on him and stabbed the prince in the stomach.

"NO!" Belle's eyes went wide, filling with tears.

"Beast!" Sora shouted.

Gaston smile and laughed, watching the prince's eyes grow with pain, seeing the red blood trickle down his shirt. He menacingly whispered to him, "You really think Belle could have truly loved you, when she could have had someone like me? Now, she'll get neither..." he smiled sickeningly then, "...because I'm taking her heart."

In an instant, Gaston withdrew the dagger from the prince's stomach, causing the royal to collapse to the ground, coughing as his breath slowly left him. His hand clutched his wound as he slowly rolled onto his back, feeling the blood spill from him.

Belle rushed to his side then, dropping the magic mirror she had in her hands next to him. She cried as she cradled his slowly dying body in her arms, "No, please! Please, you can't leave me! I love you..."

Kairi rushed to Belle then, trying to pull the princess, her friend, up, "Belle, we have to go!" Kairi's eyes went wide, watching as Gaston began to approach them. "Come on! Belle, come on!" She took Belle's hand, practically dragging her away from her dying loved one, as they amde for the window and out into the fierce storm.

Gaston smiled wickedly to himself, stepping over the dying prince and glaring down Sora.

"You monster..." Sora muttered out, feeling the hatred for the man grow in his heart. It seered, it burned, it channeled it's way through Sora's body...producing a dark aura at his finger tips.

Gaston laughed innocently, "I'm the monster? Take a look at yourself. The darkness has its' hold on you, too. The only difference is...I don't deny my darkness."

Sora stared at the man and for the first time, he felt genuine hatred. Pure hatred and it burned his heart. He shook his head and mumbled, "A pure heart won't do you any good - you're heartless."

Gaston went to the young boy then, grabbed him by the collar and pushed him into the wall with great force. The hunter lifted the boy off the ground as Sora struggled in his grasp.

Gaston threatened, "You listen to me, boy. I WILL take Belle's heart and I will make it my own...and there's nothing you can do to stop me." He squeezed Sora's cheeks together then. "Do you understand me?"

Sora remained silent, pressd up against the wall.

"You may be a...'hero', just like your dying prince friend said and you may have a strong darkness in you, but...you don't have what it takes to stop me." He released Sora then, letting the boy collapse to the floor in a heap, as the villainous hunter made his way towards the window after the two young women.

Sora remained on the floor for a moment, thinking everything through as he could practically feel his heart pounding through his head. It was true - there nwas darkness in him and at this exact moment, the darkness within was causing a burning hatred that was left unquenched.

Though, his mind replayed what the hunter had said.

He didn't have what it took to stop him.

He was a hero of light, battling against the newfound darkness and he realized, he was slowly sinking in deeper.

"Sora..." He heard a dark, raspy voice call out his name. He looked around the room for the source.

"Sora..." the voice called again. He lingerd closer to it, as it came from the floor.

"What?" He searched around the room, as it called again. He leaned down to the magic mirror that Belle had dropped and picked it up, turning it around to find Xehanort's reflection staring back at him.

"Hello, Sora." Xehanort smiled at the young man through the mirrow, "I'm so glad we finally get to meet formally."

Sora froze, his breath leaving him, "You're...you're...Xehanort."

"Look how far you've come...I can't say I'm surprised, you've done quite well," Xehanort smirked.

Sora stared into the mirror, almost terrified and paralyzed by the man he was speaking to, "What do you want?"

Xehanort smirked, "I'm here to guide you...to tell you to use the darkness to your advantage."

"No, no I won't." Sora said, shaking his head. "I know now that...that darkness is inside my heart and it's strong, but I'm going to fight it! I'm not going to resort to using dark powers!"

"Why not?" Xehanort laughed, "Isn't that what Riku did? Look how he turned out. He's become a Keyblade Master and wields both light and dark equally."

"No, no," Sora said, seeing through the ruse. "I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work."

"Your power can help save your friends, the princesses..." Xehanort said, his smile fading, "...if you just prove to yourself that...you can do what it takes."

Sora looked into the reflection, almost as if in a trance, not breathing, not blinking - just thinking about the darkness.

"If you don't act now, that hunter will surely destroy them - tearing you away from the girl forever..."

"Stop," Sora whispered.

"Tearing you away from your happiness..."

"Please," another whisper.

"He'll destroy the girl, your light, and take it away from you forever. He won't stop unless you stop him," Xehanort manipulated. "Wouldn't you do anything to protect your light?"

"Yes."

Xehanort's wicked smile appeared again, "You know what you have to do, Sora."

Sora's eyes darkened then, thinking about the options of the decision he was about to make.

"Don't fear the darkness, Sora. Fear the others who tell you not to use it." Xehanort's smile faded, as he wickedly glared at Sora through the mirror. "This is who you are. Deep inside your heart, you know there's a _beast_ just waiting to be awakened by the darkness."

Xehanort faded from the mirror then, leaving Sora to stare at his own reflection. The idea of Gaston hurting Kairi, his friends or himself made his blood boil and the anger in his heart grow, directed at the darkness that was being produced at his finger tips.

Without a word, he turned to the window and pursued after Gaston.

Kairi and Belle climbed up from the balcony, climbing up onto the ledge of the castle's roof and continuing to walk along the slippery, wet edge of the stone.

Lightning cackled overhead, as the rain poured down upon the castle.

The two young women continued along the ledge, satring down at the side of the castle, which stretched all the way down to the bottom of the rocky, watery gorge at the base of the castle. They had reached the end of the ledge, where there was a small gap between the two stone ledges,

"We have to jump," Kairi said, turning to Belle. "You go first, okay? Ready? Go!"

Belle carefully leapt from one of the stone ledges and landed on the other, making her way along the rooftops of the castle.

Just as Kairi was about to jump, Gaston caught up with her and grabbed her. "Not so fast, girl. You're important leverage for the boy to hand over his Keyblade."

"Let me go!" Kairi said, struggling and fighting against the man.

He took Kairi by the neck and squeezed hard enough for the girl to gasp for air.

Sora rushed onto the rooftop then, climbing up onto the stone ledge, watching as the lightning struck from overhead, roars of thunder echoing through the stormy sky. He saw Kairi and Gaston at the edge of the stone landing of the roof.

"Kairi!" He called out.

When Gaston noticed the young man, he tightened his grip on Kairi's neck and with his other hand, removed the dagger from his belt strap, holding it tightly up to her throat. "One more step, she dies!"

Sora froze in place, quickly looking at the fear in Kairi's eyes and then at Gaston, watching the evil man smile out of insanity.

* * *

Lea charged through the trail he had created in the hedge maze, taking him to the far side of the maze, which ended up bringing him back to the easten side of the castle. As he made his way back to the castle courtyard, he happened upon Donald and Goofy as they hap-hazardly landed the Gummi Ship just outside of the castle gates.

"What are you doing here!?" Lea quickly asked the two, running over to them amidst the storm.

"We got stuck in our ship!" Goofy said. "We met that Gaston fella..."

"...and he said he was going to hurt Sora if he didn't hand over the Keyblade," Donald exclaimed. "Gaston was coming here! We had to come protect Sora!"

The lightning crackled overhead, illuminating the castle above, causing the three friends to look up. There, they saw Sora, Kairi and Gaston on a ledge high, high at the top of the castle.

"Look, there!" Goofy said, pointing up through the rain at the three.

"Oh, no, what's happening?!" Donald exclaimed, "I think Sora needs our help!"

"No..." Lea said, his eyes widening when all the pieces finally came together.

Goofy turned to him, "Lea, what's the matter?"

"Xehanort...he did this. He set this all up to happen." Lea quickly breathed out, "He set Gaston after Sora and Kairi..."

"What? Why?" Donald asked.

Lea shook his head, "While you were away, another vessel came to me, saying that Xehanort had plans for Sora...something he would do that would darken his heart!," he panicked.

"What is it," Goofy said, worried.

Lea turned to them, his eyes wide, "Xehanort wants Sora to kill Gaston! He wants Sora's heart to darken!"

Donald and Goofy looked at each other in fear.

"We have to stop him," Goofy said hurriedly, rushing towards the castle with Lea and Donald.

"Before it's too late!" Donald finished. "Let's go!"

* * *

At the ledge high above, Gaston's hand trembled as he held the dagger to Kairi's throat. An insane smile stretched across his face. He let out a dark laugh as the lightning cackled above.

Sora looked at Kairi, silently assuring her that everything would be fine, no matter what happened.

Gaston sneered, "The Keyblade, that's all I ask for and I'll release her!"

Sora looked inbetween Gaston, Kairi and the dagger at her throat, conflicted with how to resolve the situation.

"S-Sora..." Kairi whimpered.

"It's going to be okay, Kairi," Sora hoarsely assured her, his eyes darkening.

"Don't make me do it, boy..." Gaston said with a laugh. "If I have to, I will."

Sora felt his hands shake then, as he looked down at them. A dark aura flowed from within his palms as his two hands uncontrollably shook against his will, just like in his dream. Slowly, a determined glare appeared on the young man's face.

Gaston laughed out, "Don't waste your time, boy. I know you won't do it. There's nothing you can do to stop me now-"

"I'm not trying to stop you, I'm trying to stop myself!" Sora said in one breath, his hands shaking and glowing with a powerful darkness against his will.

Riku's words from the dream he had the night before filled his mind. 'You need to stop yourself!'

Sora struggled against the darkness glowing within his hands, unable to fight it anymore as it was literallhy pushing itself out of him. His glare intensified, became more focused, as his entire being shook. The anger and hatred for Gaston built within him.

Gaston laughed, removing the dagger from Kairi's throat and pointing it towards the young man, "It's like I said Keyblade wielder. You're a hero. You don't have what it takes to sto-"

Sora shot his hand forward, sending an impulse of darkness at Gaston, which forced the man back off the castle's ledge. His eyes widened in surprise, as he was flung backwards off the castle and found himself falling.

Released, Kairi fell to the stone floor of the ledge.

With an anguished cry, Gaston plunged downward towards the gorge beneath the castle, fallling farther and farther...until he had met his end at the hard impact of his body upon the jagged cliffside.

Sora looked over the castle's ledge, seeing Gaston's broken and battered body at the bottom of the gorge.

Kairi turned to him, "Sora...you...you killed-"

"I did what it took to protect you," he finished. "He was going to hurt you...and Belle. I couldn't let that happen, no matter what...it did to my heart."

Kairi rushed to him then, embracing him, thankful for both of their lives.

Belle rushed back over to the stone ledge and down to the balcony back to their chamber.

"Beast," Sora said, turning Kairi and the two of them quickly followed after the princess.

Once inside the chamber, they gathered. Lumiere and Cogsworth helped Maurice up the stairs to the chamber. It would take some time for the man to heal. Mrs. Potts and Chip soon came and the group, with Sora, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Lea and Spooky, gathered around Belle as she went to the prince's side.

She went to his side, crying over the prince's still form. "No...no, please don't leave me...Please..."

Lumiere turned to Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts as they all shared the same expression of sorrow over their fallen master.

"Please...don't leave me..." Belle wept over him, slowly placing her hand over his heart. "...I love you..."

The room fell silent then, as Belle cried over her lost love.

Sora turned to Kairi, placing an arm around her. All the fighting they'd been doing almost seemed meaningless when faced with such sorrow.

Donald, Lea and Goofy bowed their heads in sorrow and respect.

Then, a faint glimmer of light appeared beneath Belle's palm, glowing just for a moment before fading.

From within the prince's figure, something...unsual happened, unheard of - streams of pure light seemed to radiate from his heart and entered into Belle's. It was like a ribbon that bound the two together, connected one heart to another by a bind of pure, radiantly glowing light. The light traveled from one heart to another and wrapped around them, intertwining around their forms, as the whole room looked on in wondrous awe.

The light faded and when it did, the prince's eyes opened.

"Belle..." the prince looked up at her and smiled, bringing his hand up to trace over her cheek. "You saved me."

"Her light..." Kairi whispered, "The pure heart of one...could save another."

Belle smiled as the prince sat up and brought his hands up to her face, as he kissed her. The room cheered as the prince was given life anew in the most miraculous and mysterious of ways. The prince turned, smiling at all the family and friends he had somehow been lucky enough to find along the way.

"It's a miracle," Chip cheered.

"Oh, good show, everyone! Good show!" Cogworth said, patting Lumiere on the back, "Just as planned!"

"Oh, Cogsworth, I told you everything would be alright," Lumiere said.

"I beg your pardon," Cogsworth let out a small laugh, "But I believe, I told you."

"No, you didn't! I told you," Lumiere corrected.

"You most certainly did not, you pompous pea-brain!" Cogsworth offended.

"Oh, you overgrown pocket watch!" Lumiere said, as the two started going at it.

"Now, now, dears, I think that's enough squabbling for one day..." Mrs. Potts said, directing the men away.

The prince held Belle close to him, whispering to her, "I know you have to leave come the morning, but...with Sora and the others, you'll be back home before you know it..."

Sora sighed and tilted his head, "I think we can make a slight exception..."

The Prince and Belle turned to Sora then, curious.

"Well, I hate the idea of the two of you having to be apart, especially when I know how much you've fought to be together," Sora explained. "And well, it might not be safe for all of us, but how does trading one castle for another sound, Beast? Belle will be staying in a castle at Radiant Garden, after all. As long as you're both kept safe from Xehanort."

"I can go with you?" The prince asked, surprised.

"After today, I don't know how I could ask so much from either of you to be apart," Sora said.

The prince turned to Belle, "Would...would that be alright?"

"I'd love that," Belle replied with a smile, before looking back up at him, "And just wait til Lumiere or Cogsworth hears the news that they'll get to become temporary Master of the castle," she said with a small giggle.

The prince rolled his eyes and smiled, "Sadly, I already had someone picked out for just such an occasion," he said, gesturing to Belle's father.

"Wha-Me?" Maurice said, surprised. He straightened then and let out a laugh, "Ha hoo, that's right, sonny boy! That's much better, especially after I was thrown in the dungeon during my first visit to the castle! Now I'm in charge of the castle!" He let out a laugh.

Sora smiled to himself, thinking about the events that had happened that day.

Regardless of the darkness that had swept over him and how it played with and crippled his emotions, regardless of what he had done to Gaston, he had learned something:

Sometimes, being a hero meant not doing what was right, but making the hard decision and doing what was best for everybody, even in the face of succumbing to one's own darkness.

Yes, he knew now that the darkness was within him and for all he knew, he could have amplified its' existence supremely that day, but he couldn't live with that fear weighing him down.

He would continue fighting the darkness.

He would not let the darkness win.

Kairi stood in the corner of the chamber with Lea, Donald and Goofy.

"Gawrsh, what do you think that it was that saved the prince?" Goofy asked.

"It was light. " Lea said. "Belle and the prince share the same light...her pure heart saved his from fading...just like Kairi said."

"Aww, Kairi, how did you know what that light magic was?" Donald asked. "I've never seen anything like it."

"I don't know. I could just feel it, I could sense what was happening. It must be another power of being one of the Princesses of Heart," Kairi hypothesized. "Hmm, one pure heart...can save the light of another. I could take that power like Belle did...and use it to save Sora's heart when it needs saving."

"Gawrsh Kairi, and what power is that," Goofy asked.

"I didn't know what it was until just now, until I saw it for the first time when Belle used it with the prince," Kairi said, turning to her friends with a smile.

"What saved the prince from his fate will be the same thing that will save Sora's from his..."

 _Love._


	12. When the Road Looks Rough Ahead

Hi guys, welcome back! I hope you enjoy this next chapter as the adventures continue! Please read and review!

 **Chapter Twelve - When the Road Looks Rough Ahead**

At the summit of the castle in the World That Never Was, the grey spires of the headquarters stretched upwards into the dark sky above. There, in the circular chamber that was at the tallest core of the castle, Xehanort had gathered together his vessels as they took their proper place amongst the thirteen thrones circling the round room.

Xehanort, who was sitting in the throne higher than all the rest, looked down upon each of his hooded vessels and watched as they gathered before him. "The coming of a new Keyblade War will soon be upon us. When the time comes, the war will be enacted and the X-Blade will be forged. Each of us will fight the seven guardians to claim Kingdom Hearts as my own."

"Well then, the six other guardians that aren't trapped in an endless sleep better start working on finding a way to wake their friend up," Braig said with a laugh.

"Yes, indeed. The final piece needed to commence the war, " Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, mused.

Xehanort smirked, "The young boy lost to sleep - Ventus."

"Hm, weakling." Vanitas said, darkly, "Never stood a chance against fighting the darkness."

"The boy hidden away somewhere within Castle Oblivion," Xemnas said. "Trapped inside, unable to be found for years."

"Perhaps a harder search may yield the boy," Xehanort suggested, before turning to look down towards the replicated Riku that Vexen had created. "My young vessel, you were created inside of Castle Oblivion and dwelled those halls more than any of us. In your time since being brought back from the past, had you ever uncovered anything?"

The replica shook his head, "No. Nothing that led way to the boy, just endless halls of Sora and Riku's memories crafted into visions that filled the castle's floors. The illusions of the castle could have easily hidden the boy away from any of us."

"Master, if I may," Isa turned to look at his leader. "I'd employed many of our former Organization members to go to the castle in search of the missing boy, but after tirelessly searching, nothing could be found - from any of us."

Braig laughed and tossed his head back, "You really trusted our former members to do their share of the work? Haha, as if!"

"Whoever had created that castle certainly had the knack for puzzles and tricks," the replica mused.

"The girl, the one that was once lost in the darkness," the Terra-Xehanort infused apprentice said. "Master Aqua."

Vanitas sneered, "The pitiful mage. Transformed her destroyed home all to make a safe haven for her fallen friend."

The apprentice continued, "When I masqueraded myself as Terra while she traversed through the Realm of Darkness, a chance encounter with her revealed to me that she had hidden him away...in only a place she could uncover."

"Hm, most interesting indeed," Xehanort smirked. "Perhaps we must drive our heroes to save their fallen friend sooner rather than later."

"And with the boy awake, all the pieces for the second Keyblade War will fall into place," Xemnas said.

"But...what of Sora?" Lauriam questioned, "He killed the hunter and his heart had weakened."

"I would say his heart more than weakened...it fractured," Xehanort grinned. "The darkness has already started to seep within the cracks of his heart and take root."

"But what do you hope to accomplish by darkening Sora's heart? He's an important piece needed to begin the war," Isa asked. "If he continues to dangerously steer towards the darkness, his heart could be destroyed...and the war would be prolonged even further."

Xehanort laughed and brushed away the concern, "The war will happen with or without Sora. If he falls to the darkness, a new 'light' will have to rise in his place...and then, we'll get to use the powerful darkness of Sora's heart to our command."

"Hmm, a vessel of darkness," Ansem mused with a smile.

"Presicely," Xehanort said. "It's not Sora that I need...it's Ventus - the X-Blade."

"Case in point again, we really need that girl to find him," Braig said. "What the hell is she up to anyway? I had no doubt that after escaping from the dark realm she would save her friend immediately."

"Ah, it's another friend she's saving now," Xehanort said. "The King, who's mind I corrupted with darkness - another dear friend in dire need. She just couldn't help herself if it meant saving a fallen friend."

"A feeble distraction, to say the least," Vanitas said. "What do we do until the boy is awakened then?"

"Have patience. Everything will come in time," Xehanort assured. "I'm a patient man. I've spent years forming my many plans. The short time we have until they commence is nothing compared to the time I've waited."

The hooded vessels nodded in agreement.

"Though, we aren't quite done yet..." Xehanort said, before looking down upon all his vessels. "Reveal yourselves."

Each of the vessels pulled their dark hoods back to reveal their faces to their Master and to one another - that is, all except two.

The Twelfth and the Thirteenth.

"You dare defy your leader," Ansem questioned with rage, looking towards the two cloaked vessels.

Xemnas smirked, "You will suffer the ultimate punishment."

Xehanort smirked at his vessels' blind dedication towards him before he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Then, the two cloaked figures were flung from the thrones to the ground, where the robes crumbled in a pile on the floor, revealing...nothing. Not a soul or being to be found.

The other vessels stared at one another in confusion, there had never been a twelfth or thirteenth vessel inducted into the Organization...just yet.

"Our work is not yet complete...as we still have two more seats to fill," Xehanort informed. "Always have."

"Two, huh?" Braig asked, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back. "Well, who do you have in mind, old man?"

"I know exactly who," Xehanort smirked, before turning to the younger vessel of himself. "As does he."

The younger Xehanort nodded, "Yes, I've yet to retrieve one of the vessels from the past, while the other...is kept somewhere safe from any of our grasps right now."

"What?" Braig questioned, "So, you mean we're not close to the finish line? Bummer."

Xehanort nodded, "When I'd failed at attempting to make Sora a vessel, it called...for a change of plans for one of the two I've yet to find." He turned to look down at his younger self, "My vessel, search through time and space to find the two we've yet to retrieve. You know where their darkness lies."

The younger Xehanort nodded.

"As for the rest of you, you're dismissed," Xehanort commanded, watching as the other vessels descended down from the tall thrones and made their way out of the chamber.

Before he could leave, the Terra-Xehanort being was stopped.

"One moment," Xehanort requested. "I have a special assignment for you."

Terra-Xehanort turned back to his leader, intrigued. "What did you have in mind, Master?"

"Proceed back to Castle Oblivion and continue the search for their missing friend," Xehanort instructed.

Terra-Xehanort turned his head, confused. "But Master, we've heard what the others said. Without Aqua, it's useless. There's no finding him without her guidance."

"Exactly," Xehanort said. "In due time, Aqua will arrive at the castle to find her friend and when she does, you'll be there to greet her."

Terra-Xehanort shook his head, "But...she won't trust me. She won't reveal Ventus to me knowing that I'm a vessel of yours."

"You're right," Xehanort said, rubbing his chin. "The light Aqua has for Terra burns strong...and I can feel his for her, as well. And that...is exactly what we'll use to our advantage."

"Aqua's feeling for Terra..." the vessel thought out loud, "But...Terra is only a small part of what I am. Your heart takes up more vacancy in this body - your heart's space in his body has grown ever since it was placed there those years ago. She won't trust me...even if Terra is somewhere within me."

Xehanort smirked, "Very well." He passed his hand over the aprentice's form.

Slowly, Terra-Xehanort's white hair began to turn a dark brown. His dark, golden eyes transformed into a pools of blue.

The vessel went up to touch his face - he was Terra again, at least visibly.

"Better?" Xehanort said with a smirk, looking over the figure that now looked exactly like the young man he'd possessed.

"I suppose so," Terra-Xehanort said. "She could see right through this disguise, though."

"Possible." Xehanort said and turned from the vessel, "And if she does, overpower her and force her hand in revealing Ventus."

Terra-Xehanort nodded.

"Her light burns strong for Terra. She won't destroy you knowing that a small piece of him is tucked away somewhere inside you." Xehanort leaned in closer to the vessel. "You, on the other hand, have the advantage. If she refuses to reveal Ventus, you take the light that she and Terra share...and you crush it."

"Understood," the vessel replied.

"Find the boy," Xehanort said.

Terra-Xehanort set off.

* * *

Sora and his friends had returned to Radiant Garden, where they had brought Belle and her prince to the castle and safely escorted them off to the secret sanctum within the castle. Hidden away from the prying eyes of Xehanort, Maleficent and the darkness, Belle and Alice waited for the day when their role in summoning the Key to Return Hearts would happen.

Though, with much more work to be done, the group did not stay in Radiant Garden long and quickly returned to the gummi ship after departing from the two Princesses of Heart.

The Gummi Ship drifted through the Lanes Between with Sora, Donald and Goofy in control of the ship.

Sora remained silent as he carefully manuevered the gummi ship along with Donald and Goofy. He couldn't help but feel a bit on edge after everything that had happned in Belle's world. With him being both responsible for bringing the Heartless to the village and Gaston's death, he couldn't help but feel like Lea and Kairi were keeping a close eye on him whenever he looked away.

Lea walked up to Sora's seat and placed a friendly pat on Sora's shoulder, "Hey buddy. You been quiet. You okay?"

"I'm doin' just fine, Lea," Sora smiled back in return.

The red-head tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, "You sure?"

Sora gave a deep sigh and put the gummi ship in auto-pilot, "This is about what happened to Gaston again, isn't it?"

"Can you blame me for being worried?" Lea shrugged, "It wasn't like you to do something like that, Sora."

The young brunette sighed again, slightly more agitated this time. "Look, I know what I did to Gaston was wrong. There could have been some other way, something else I could have done to stop him, but...he was going to hurt Kairi and Belle. Soon enough, he would hurt you and me, too, if he had the chance."

Lea fell silent as Sora spoke his reasoning for killing the hunter.

"I know it wasn't the right thing to do, but it was needed," Sora said. "It wasn't an accident...and I don't feel bad for what I did - protecting the ones I care about."

Lea remained silent. It was true that Sora did make a huge, fatal decision to protect the ones he cared about, but at the same time, Lea felt like Sora still wasn't quite himself. Then again, Lea soon realized that the countless adventures, the endless fight against the darkness, the loss and relentless battles had torn Sora down somewhat, and maybe, the young Keyblade wielder was growing and maturing much faster than any of them were expecting.

"Sora, I just wanna make sure you're okay," Lea sighed, but smiled slightly. "You can talk to me whenever you need to. I know what it's like to dwell in the dark. It's always better to have someone there with you than no one at all."

"Thanks, Lea," Sora smiled. "I'll remember that. But no more worrying, okay?"

Kairi glanced out of the glass window of the gummi ship's cockpit, staring off into the endless galaxy before them. The lanes between swirled and sparkled, countless worlds filling the atmosphere before them.

"You okay over there," Donald called out to Kairi.

"Hm?" Kairi said, pulled from her thoughts and turned back to the other four in the ship. "Yeah, of course. I was just thinking of Riku and the King. It's been at least two weeks since we've seen them. I hope they're okay."

"Gawrsh, Kairi. I'm sure Riku and Mickey are doin' just fine," Goofy assured. "They musta escaped the Realm of Darkness with Aqua by now."

Lea smirked and crossed his arms, "Yeah, those two won't go down so easily. I'm sure they're alright. No need to worry."

"Oh, I wasn't worried about them being in danger. I know they can handle it," Kairi giggled. "I was just wondering if they had made it back and what they're up to now."

Sora tilted his head and thought, "You know, we should head back to Master Yen Sid's tower and see if they're back."

Donald hopped up, "Yeah. Master Yen Sid might be able to tell us about their progress!"

"And it would be good to see our friends again," Goofy continued.

"And to finally meet Aqua," Sora finished, before turning back to his friends with a smile. "Alright, then. That settles it! Next stop: Master Yen Sid's tower!"

The three at the helm re-directed their forward motion and swerved in a large banked curve through the atmosphere, flying in the direction of the skilled sorcerer's home base.

* * *

 **A Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Mickey Mania! - The Prince and the Pauper**

 _For many years, Disney Town was ruled by a wise and good King._

 _The people flourished and were very happy._

 _But by and by, the good King became ill and a darkness fell over the kingdom._

 _As the king grew weaker, his Captain of the guard, a ruthless and greedy man,_

 _saw his chance to rob and terrorize the people of Disney Town._

 _And worst of all, in the King's name._

 _It seemed that no one could save the kingdom from the thieving Captain and his henchmen._

 _Until one day..._

In the early evening, the streets of Disney Town slowly started filling with snow as cotton-white flakes fell from the sky and blanketed the whimsical kingdom.

It was only a moment later when a bright beam of light illuminated from an alley in the corner of the town when a bright screen with a rolling film reel symbol appeared. Riku and Aqua materialized within the screen moments later and looked around at their surroundings.

"Disney Town," Aqua said, bringing her hands up to warm her arms from the harsh cold. "Now, this town I'm much more familiar with, not how it was in that last memory. But why does it have to be so cold?"

"Well, hopefully we won't have to climb a beanstalk in this memory," Riku said through chattering teeth. "Mickey should be here, somewhere."

The two proceeded through the snowy winter streets of Disney Town in search of the King.

"If I could bet, I would say Mickey's probably at the castle," Riku said. "After all, he did save the entire kingdom from the Giant. They would have honored him in some way, I'd think."

"I'd think again," Aqua said, pointing to the empty streets of the town square, where Mickey was standing alongside Pluto and Goofy in the blistering cold.

Mickey and Goofy were bundled up in heavy jackets with scarves and winter caps, as the two and Pluto braved the cold evening streets of their town.

"Look, Mickey's there," Riku said. "Goofy, too. I don't think this memory was too long ago."

"But by the looks of them, it doesn't look like they're doing too well," Aqua mused, sadly. "Look at them. They're freezing up in this cold. Don't they have a place where they could go?"

Riku sighed and looked at his two companions in this memory world, "I guess Mickey's path to becoming King didn't start with the giant..."

"Fresh kindling! Fresh kindling!" Mickey called out to the people of Disney Town, holding up the logs and sticks he had in his hand. He tried to get the attention of those that walked past him, trying to sell his good for a small sum of coins in return. "Why, you can't cook dinner without a fire, can you, sir? Sir?"

Pluto let out a whimper as he slowly stepped after Mickey.

Mickey turned back to the dog and frowned, bending down to give Pluto a pat on the head. "Aw, I know, fella. I'm hungry, too."

Riku and Aqua turned disheartened watching as Mickey had to beg for a small amount of change in order to get by, completely disregarded and ignored by the people of Disney Town. It was certainly a side of the King the two of them had never expected, nor one that they ever thought had existed in the first place.

"I guess even those as royal as the King have to start building themselves up from somewhere," Aqua thought out. "We should see if he needs our help."

The two made their way over the icy streets and walked up to meet Mickey and Pluto.

Mickey perked up when he saw the two friends. "Riku and Aqua! You're back," he said, smiling up at them.

"You remember us this time, Mickey?" Riku asked.

"Why, sure I do!" Mickey laughed. "It's not every day that some new friends help me take down a giant, you know!"

"What happened to you, Mickey?" Aqua asked. "You're out here all on your own in the cold. Shouldn't you get inside someplace warm?"

Mickey sighed and frowned, "I don't have anywhere else to go. I do the best I can to try and make the best of things out here for Pluto and I."

"On the streets? In this cold?" Riku asked.

Mickey shrugged, "Sadly, it's all I can do."

"Snowcones! Get your snowcones!" The group turned to watch Goofy make his way down the street with freshly-scooped snowcones.

Mickey turned towards his other friend, as Riku, Aqua and Pluto followed closley behind him. "Hiya Goof. How's business?"

Goofy turned to his friend, hands full with snowcones, "Gawrsh Mickey, if I don't get a customer soon, I'm gonna have to eat 'em myself."

Pluto and Goofy both flashed down-trodden and unhappy frowns across their faces.

Mickey optimistically turned to his friends and smiled, "Aw, don't feel bad, guys. Why, one of these days, we'll be eating just like the king."

The small group was distracted then when they heard the sound of a carriage roll through the streets of Disney Town then. From around the corner of one of the buildings, a carriage appeared, as the King's Captain rode at the front of the carriage, with his henchmen guards inside.

"Oh, no! It's Captain Pete!" Mickey said, watching as the carriage rode through the town.

Riku and Aqua turned to the carriage and sure enough, there was Pete at the helm in the Captain's royal armor.

"Oh, no. It's Pete again," Aqua sighed, thinking about all the trouble he'd caused back on the Steamboat Willie and during his Captain Justice/Captain Dark phase the last time they'd met in Toontown. "What no good is he up to this time?"

"It seems he's been causing trouble in Disney Town for quite awhile," Riku said. "It's a good thing he's turned over a new leaf back in the present time."

"Let's hope it stays that way," Aqua said.

"Captain Pete!" The guards cheered from inside the carriage. From what Riku and Aqua could make out, the carriage guards looked like some type of weasels, with mischevious, up-to-no-good expressions on all of their faces. "Captain Pete!"

Pluto barked at the passing carriage and soon, began chasing after it as it plowed through the snow-filled streets.

"Pluto, wait!" Mickey called out to his pet, before chasing after the golden dog. He raced down through the streets after the dog and the carriage. "Pluto!"

"Gawrsh, Mickey! Wait for me!" Goofy said, chasing after his friend.

"We'd better go see if they need our help," Riku said, turning to Aqua, as the two of them summoned their Keyblades. Thus, a chase began - with Pete's carriage being chased by Pluto, who was being chased by Mickey, who was being chased by Goofy, while all of them were being chased by RIku and Aqua.

The carriage steered in the direction of Disney Castle, where Pete had manuevered the horses' towards the grand opened gates of the castle, with Pluto unknowingly close behind them.

"They're headed for that big, ol' castle," Goofy shouted out to Mickey, pointing up towards the tall castle.

"Pluto, wait for me!" Mickey said, calling out to his dog.

Though, before Mickey could do anything, Pete had steered the carriage through the opened gates and was quickly followed by Pluto, leaving the other friends to watch as the large castle doors quickly closed, blocking off access to the castle grounds and leaving Pluto inside.

Mickey ran up to the large castle gates and placed his hands on the doors, as if trying some futile effort to push them open. "Oh, no. Pluto!"

"He's trapped inside the castle grounds without leaving us a way in," Riku said.

"I'm sure he'll be alright, Mickey," Aqua assured.

Goofy went over to the door and knocked hard on the large structure. "Hey fellas, open up!"

"Who goes there, and what do you want!?" A sleazy, whiny toned voice came from the other side of the castle. They could only assume it must have comes from one of Captain Pete's weasel guards who'd been assigned to protect the castle gates.

Mickey nervously stumbled over his words, speaking up towards the door, "Oh gosh, I just want to get my dog back. He ran in there before I could catch him and-"

The weasel guard opened up a small window within the door and stared at the visitors. His eyes went wide when he saw the mouse standing there, "Your Majesty!?"

Mickey tilted his head in slight confusion. He certainly wasn't one for formal titles, especially when he could barely scrape up enough munny for food and didn't even have a roof over his head.

The weasel quickly corrected himself and opened the door for the mouse, "Oh-oh, do come in, sire!"

Mickey hopped through the castle gates, tipping his hat to the armored weasel, "Oh, thanks!" He made his way through the castle grounds in search of Pluto.

"Whew!" The weasel wiped the sweat from his brow, knowing that he wasn't going to receive any disciplinary punishment for how he had treated (whom he assumed was) the prince of Disney Town.

As Goofy, Aqua and Riku made their way towards the castle door, the weasel suddenly stopped them. "Whoa, whoa, what do you think you're doing?"

"Going into the castle after our friend," Riku said, defending themselves.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," the weasel guard said, slowly beginning to shut the doors. "Scram outta here."

"What? No. You just let out friend in," Aqua began to explain.

"Your friend, huh?" The weasel questioned, "You ain't no friends of the prince, that's for sure."

"Prince?" Aqua and Riku questioned.

"Now beat it before I call the Captain and throw yous all into the dungeon," the weasel warned with a obnoxious laugh.

"But if you would just-"

"I said scram outta here," the weasel said, finally, as he closed and locked the gates. "No peasants allowed!"

"Peasants!?" Aqua said, wide-eyed. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know, but I think there was some misunderstanding..." Riku said.

"Gawrsh, I hope Mickey finds Pluto," Goofy finished, looking towards the closed castle doors.

The weasel gaurd on the opposite side of the door leaned back and tilted his helmet down over his eyes to catch a few winks of sleep while he could. He was quickly taken out of his sleep when he felt a tight hand squeeze around his throat and lift him up into the air.

"What do you think this is, 'open house'?!" Captain Pete said, sneaking up on the weasel and threatening him as he shook the guard about.

The weasel pleaded, "Captain, that was the prince!"

Pete took the guard and pointed his face towards one of the castle's windows, where the prince's chambers were. "Then, who's that, numbskull!?"

In the window, there was another mouse, one that looked essentially identical to Mickey physically and yet, was an entirely different mouse.

This other mouse was the true prince of Disney Town.

From inside the great, tall walls of Disney Castle the other mouse sat in his study at a short wooden desk. He took one of the many books scattered on and around his desk and unenthusiastically scanned through the book, carelessly and bored.

He let out a yawn, which he covered with a gloved hand as he flipped through the book. The life of the prince had become boring and routine. He felt very disconnected from the people of Disney Town, but with his father slowly dying and the urgency for him to claim the throne rising, he knew he had to dedicate himself to being able to fill his father's shoes and right now, that meant sharpening his studies.

A blue owl with a pair of circular black eye glasses and a tie flew into the room then and landed before the prince. Professor Owl, as he was called, was the prince's tutor and general advisor, making sure that the prince knew everything he had to know so that he could become a righteous king.

"Ah, ready to review, sire?" The owl said, straightening his slightly off-set glasses. He opened up a book and scanned through the pages, "Right then. All triangles have three sides and the relations between these three sides are known as ratios..."

The prince sighed and placed his hand in his palm, already bored with the lesson plan of the day - and not just because it had nothing to do with actually becoming a king.

The prince, bored with his tutor's lesson, distracted himself by looking out of his studies' window and out into the town, where he watched a few of the town children happily frolic through the snow, engaging in a snowball fight with one another. It seemed like such a simple life, filled with enjoyment from such simple things. He sighed again, wishing to know what it felt like to just be one amongst the regular townspeople and not have to worry about any duties.

"Sire?" The professor asked, pulling the prince from his distraction.

The prince looked back at his professor, a slight look of guilt on his face.

"If you could give me your full attention, please," the professor requested. "Your Highness, you know that your father is ill and it is important that you learn these lessons."

As the professor continued with his lesson, the prince noticed the sound of a barking dog coming from outside. He turned to look out his chamber window and down into the castle courtyard below. In the garden, he saw a golden dog barking and aggressively tugging at Captain Pete's leg.

"Go on, you mangy mutt!" Pete said, trying to kick the dog off of his leg. "Get outta here! Let go of my leg!"

The prince took a closer look at Captain Pete and saw what appeared to be a poor peasant held up in one of Pete's hands by his shirt, which covered his whole upper body almost as if it was a sack. The idea that his father's captain would treat his kingdom's people like this appalled the prince.

"Captain!" The mouse called town to Pete from the window, "What is the meaning of this?"

Pete looked up at the window, surprised to find the prince there looking at the whole scene. The Captain looked at the peasant held up in his grasp, nervously staring back at the prince. "Oh, no worries, your Highness. Just some...uhh, local riff-raffs."

Pluto growled out as he encircled the captain.

"Even the lowliest subjects of this kingdom deserve respect," the prince admonished. "Have him brought to me at once!" He turned from the window and walked away.

Pete unraveled Mickey from his shirt and dropped him to the floor in a heap. "Ohhhh, the prince wants to see you. Allow me!"

Pete took Mickey by the shirt collar, lifted him up and threw him into the castle hall. With his owner gone, Pluto was left to growl aggressively at Pete.

Pete hovered over the much smaller dog and aggressively huffed himself up in an attempt to scare the dog.

Instead, Pluto bit down hard on Pete's foot, before running away back towards the castle gates.

"YEOOOW!" Pete said, jumping into the air from the dog bite and landing on his behind in a pile of snow. "Oww, oww, my achin' foot! That no good pauper better not be causin' anymore troubles for me around this castle!"

"After all..." Pete continued, a dark glint in his eyes, "...it is I that will become the next king!" He gluttonously laughed to himself.

* * *

At the Mysterious Tower, the gummi ship hovered close to the edge of the tower, before landing off to the side in the open clearing at the base of the tower.

"Come on, let's go see if our friends are back," Sora said, calling out to the others, as he led Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Lea and Spooky away from the ship and towards the entrance of the tower.

"Oh boy," Donald cheered, running up to the doors of the tower.

"Wonder how they're doin'," Goofy said.

"Let's go ask them," Sora said, as the group of friends raced up the winding, whimsical staircases that let up to the top of the tower where Master Yen Sid's chambers were located.

Sora opened up the heavy wooden door to the main chamber and smiled, "We're back!"

Yen Sid's chamber was empty.

Donald looked back and forth across the empty chamber, "Helloooooo."

"Gawrsh, no one's here," Goofy said.

"Not even Yen Sid," Lea continued, placing a finger on his chin. "Which is strange. I don't think he'd leave his tower unprotected. It's sort of like our home base."

"Well, Master Yen Sid did say he cast a protection spell against the darkness on the tower before we left on this adventure," Kairi said. "I'm sure wherever everyone is, they must be safe...I hope."

They heard a noise come from the chamber off to the side of Yen Sid's study. The instinct within all of them immediately made them retrieve their weapons and prepare for battle.

"What do you think that is?" Sora asked.

"Heartless?" Donald squinted.

Goofy shook his head, "But they can't get inside here with Master Yen Sid's magic."

"Whatever it is, we're about to find out," Lea said, pointing his fiery Keyblade forward.

They heard the sound of the intruder move closer towards the chamber door, watching as it slowly opened to reveal a former companion, one that they thought they'd lost to the darkness.

"Ansem, the Wise?" Sora, Donald and Goofy said together.

"Ansem..." Kairi whispered out, realizing that her newfound uncle was alive and well, not banished to the darkness. With this man, this new familial connection which she had discovered, it made her feel happy that she was able to add to what little family she had.

"Wha-how did you get here?" Sora asked, confused. "The last time we saw you, you-"

"Yes." Ansem, the Wise moved from the door then and to the group. "With all of you there, I'd destroyed that foolish Organization XIII's fake Kingdom Hearts and released those hearts to the worlds."

"We saw you vanish into that big, ol' light," Goofy said. "What happened?"

Ansem closed his eyes and thought, "I thought destroying Xemnas and the others' creation would have required such power that it would have destroyed myself, but...I was whisked away into the darkness yet again, left there for some time...in the Realm of Darkness."

"You'd fallen to the realm of darkness, too," Sora breathed out.

"Yes. And while I was there, Aqua and I crossed paths," Ansem said.

"Aqua!" Sora said. "She was there with you? If you escaped, she must have, too, right? Right?" He said quickly with anticipation.

Ansem smiled and nodded, "Yes, with the help of both Riku and the King."

The group let out a sigh of relief that Riku and Mickey had accomplished their mission and that Aqua had finally been freed back into the realm of light. They couldn't help but feel optimistic about their accomplishment, realizing that they were one step closer to their battle with Xehanort and hopefully, the end to this fight against the darkness.

"But..." Ansem started, a concerned look on his face.

"'But'? Ahh, why does there always have to be a 'but'?" Lea asked, shaking his head,

Sora looked at the concern on the older man's face, "What? What is it?"

The older blonde man sighed, but continued, "Riku had escaped with Aqua and I, but Mickey...he'd fallen deeper into the darkness..."

"Oh, no! The King!" Donald and Goofy said together. "What'll we do without Mickey?"

"Oh, no...I hope he's alright," Kairi frowned.

Ansem continued, "Yen Sid had brought us back here, but left with Aqua and Riku, for what I believe was an attempt to save Mickey. I have not heard from them since they've left..."

"Oh, poor Mickey," Goofy said, turning to Donald concerned. "I sure do hope that Master Yen Sid could help our pal out."

"Of course he can!" Donald assured, "Yen Sid's magic can do anything! I'm sure Mickey will be back soon...I think...I hope," he continued, starting to sound less and less confident.

"WE GOTTA SAVE THE KING!" Donald finally panicked.

"Donald, relaaaaax, man," Lea said. "If Yen Sid and the others are already helping, we'll just be extra help standing around. Mickey will be fine."

Ansem nodded and closed his eyes, "At least Aqua and I have escaped from that wretched realm. While there, my memory had been lost to me, but...in the days since returning, my memories have slowly started to chain themselves together again and restore themselves."

Kairi smiled to herself and placed her hand over her heart, "Namine must be working to fix that."

"I would have to agree with you," Ansem said, smiling at Kairi, his niece that he'd taken care of in his castle so long ago.

"I suppose that you wouldn't happen to remember me from all those years ago then, would you?" Kairi asked.

Ansem remained silent for a moment, realizing that Kairi had made the connection that he'd been her mother's brother and that they were family. He smiled and nodded, "I wish you could have known sooner..."

"Uncle Ansem," Kairi said, tilting her head. "It...has an interesting ring to it."

"I think it has an absolutely bizarre ring to it is more like it," Lea corrected.

"What brings all of you here," Ansem asked.

"Well, this is sort of our operations base through this entire fight against Xehanort," Sora explained. "We were sort of hoping that Master Yen Sid would be here and we'd get to meet back up with our friends."

Ansem nodded, "I'm sorry they're not."

Sora shook his head and smiled, "It's okay. I should have known they'd be working on helping out others. At least we know you're back here and safe, though."

"Well, now what do we do," Donald asked.

Goofy scratched his head, "Gawrsh, I guess it's back to fightin' the Heartless and lookin' for the princesses in all the worlds then."

"I suppose so. Only four more left to find," Sora said.

"And then we'll get that Key to Return Hearts and save everyone," Donald cheered.

"Welp, looks like we're headin' back out then," Goofy said.

"Actually..." Kairi began, causing Sora, Donald and Goofy to turn back to her.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked.

Kairi looked between her friends and her uncle. "Would you guys mind if I stood out on this next world? With Ansem here, there's...alot that we need to catch up on and I'm sure so much to talk about."

Ansem smiled and nodded, "It's true. We have over a decade to catch up on."

"Would you guys mind?" Kairi asked and smiled. "I would really like to learn more about my family after all this time."

"Not at all," Sora said, smiling back at her. "Are you sure you'll be okay here, just the two of you?"

"It won't be just the two of 'em," Lea said, placing his Keyblade over his shoulder. "I'll stay back here, too and make sure that nothing goes wrong. A little extra help never hurt anybody."

"Sounds good," Sora said.

"Besides, I trust that the three of you will be able to handle things wherever you end up," Lea smiled at Sora, Donald and Goofy. "At least I sincerely hope you don't screw things up."

Donald annoyingly stomped his foot, "Hey, what do ya mean by that?"

"Gawrsh, we won't go messin' anything up," Goofy said.

Lea smirked and waved the three off, "Don't worry about us, guys. I got things covered here. You guys be safe."

"No worries. We'll be back," Sora said, leading Donald and Goofy out of the room and down the winding stairs.

Ansem turned to Kairi, his smile somewhat faltering. "We really do have much to talk about."

* * *

A cold chill passed through the dark den of the Villain's Vale castle, as the empty fortress sat on the cold, isolated edge of Radiant Garden. The crumbling castle that had been claimed by Maleficent has been quiet until the grand, heavy stone doors at the entrance of the castle pushed open.

"We're back, darling!" Cruella exclaimed.

She sauntered into the den, gin in one hand, cigarette in the other, as Hook trailed behind her. "No Oaf, no Lord of the Dead, no asinine hunter, just this fabulously delicious devilish duo."

Hook and Cruella took in the silence of the fortress, not a sound to be heard.

"Mal?" Cruella called out to her friend, her voice echoing through the stone chambers of the castle. "Looks like no one's here."

"Where'd that blasted witch head off to this time? Seems like she has an agenda of her own, one she's unwilling to share with her 'friends'," Hook sneered. "Just what is that bloody Maleficent keeping from us."

"Oh, relax, love. I'm sure that whatever Maleficent is up to is just as delectably dark as I imagine it would be," Cruella persuded, then pulled out a flash from within her cleavage, letting her fluffy coat fall down her shoulders and placing it in the captain's good hand, who generously took it from her. "Now, here's an idea, darling. Let's take another sip of gin and see if it improves our moods, shall we?"

"Not now, Ella..." Hook said, brushing past the woman and walking deeper into the castle.

Cruella watched as the captain walked by, slightly wide-eyed with surprise. "Oh, but the gin never fails..."

"I'm sorry, love, but I'm not in the mood for a drink right now," the captain said.

"You are a pirate, aren't you," Cruella asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't being a drunk ass a part of the job?"

"Not always," Hook said, turning away from Cruella.

Cruella stood there, watching as the pirate walked away. "Oh, Jimmy...what's the matter? Is mommy no longer good enough for you? Has the gin lost its' kick? Oh, what can I do to make you happy, my handsome Captain Chiseled-chin."

She sighed and looked down at herself. She took a moment where she re-arranged her dress and pushed up her chest to reveal more cleavage. "Well, it's clearly not me that's the problem...but if you want to play hard to get, Jimmy, ohhh, that's a game I will relish."

Cruella sauntered into the den, her sights set on winning and wooing the Captain.

* * *

In a distant world, a kingdom of sorts seen from a fairytale, a dark castle stood at the far edge of a vast forest. At the peak of the Forbidden Mountains, Maleficent's fortress stood at the peaks of the fogged cliffs, jutting upwards into the dark night sky. While the kingdom of Enchanted Dominion had seen many changes since returning to the Realm of Light, Maleficent's original fortress was still just as dark and foreboding as usual.

Seated in her stone throne, Maleficent sat, delicately tracing her fingers over her raven's feathers, as it perched itself on her magical staff. A devilish sneer appeared on Maleficent's lips as she looked down upon the cowering goons before her that had worked as her castle guards. A part of her felt joyful accomplishment out of watching the terror in their eyes.

"Surprised to see me after so long," Maleficent sneered out to her goons, raising herself up from her throne, her long black capes trailing behind her. "No need to be frightened. I'm not here to destroy you, not today anyway..."

The goons ceased their quivering, somewhat relieved of their fears of the malevolent witch in front of them.

"No, I still have some use for you, what little it may be, so try not to do anything foolish or else face the consequences," Maleficent let out an evil laugh, a powerful lightning aura surging from within her staff. "I have much more important matters to attend to than the likes of you..."

The witch moved through her den and over to the far side of the circular chamber, where a freshly crumbled wall gave view to the outside kingdoms and forests.

Maleficent smirked to herself as she looked out on the newly formed kingdom, "My dear friend was right. This world has certainly changed...and now, it's mine."

The witch laughed to herself, her evil laugh slowly building, echoing through the sky, looking down upon the new kingdom - where her castle led to the forests that surrounded King Stefan's, but then another forest led to Cinderella's castle and another path led past the seven falls to the Evil Queen's castle.

The worlds of Enchanted Dominion, Castle of Dreams and the Dwarf Woodlands had all become one in a mysterious and uncertain way.

Maleficent smirked to herself, looking at the Evil Queen's castle as it stood on the farthest opposite side of the kingdom. "I believe I owe my dear friend a visit."

The sky above the Forbidden Mountains was filled with lightning and darkness, set afire by Maleficent's wrath and her dark intentions.

* * *

Sora, Donald and Goofy returned to their Gummi Ship and blasted off through the Lanes Between the worlds, darting off through the intergalactic space before them to their next destination.

Sora, Donald and Goofy sat in the cockpit of the ship, skillfully navigating their way between the Heartless ships.

"Blast em', Goofy!" Donald said.

"I'm on it!" Goofy said, switching the laser cannon over to the several Heartless that had gathered in a cluster and made their way over towards them.

"Look, there's some more," Sora called out, before pressing down on one of the buttons on the control panel, sending out a consecutive string of missiles that blasted the Heartless ships away.

"Great shot!" Goofy cheered.

"Thanks," Sora called back.

"Ah, just like the good, ol' times," Donald said, leaning back in his chair. "Just the three of us goin' off on an adventure together, just like the start of this whole adventure!"

"Gawrsh, it really is like the old days, isn't it," Goofy said. "The only difference is that you and Donald don't fight over the controls anymore...well, at least sometimes..."

"What?! Aw, please," Donald defended. "I never fought at all."

"You also never heal us during battle, so what really do you do," Sora asked.

"WHAT!? Why, you..." Donald continued, mumbling in gibberish. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be on this ship now. You'd still be stuck walkin' around in Traverse Town for two years!"

"Oh, come on. I'd find a way out of there. Besides, who'd fight Ansem, Xemnas, Maleficent, and now, Xehanort." Sora smirked, "You definitely couldn't do all that."

Donald hopped up out of his seat, his face nearly turning red with his temper, "WHAT!? KNOCK IT OFF, YA BIG PALOOKA!"

Goofy sighed, watching the fighting, "Yepp, definitely like the good, ol' days."

Donald's temper tantrum continued until Spooky crept out of Sora's hood and used his small hand to shut the duck's bill closed. Miffed, Donald rolled his eyes as the shadow patted his bill.

Sora smirked, always finding it amusing how the shadow defended him and always remained loyal. He looked before him and saw a most curious sight.

His eyes widened, "What type of Heartless ship is that?"

Donald and Goofy looked before them, seeing a new type of Heartless ship appear off in the distance. From what they could tell, the Heartless ships weren't built out of Gummi Blocks at all, but rather, seemed to be built out of building blocks and toy pieces connected together. Barrel monkeys were strung by the hands around the ship and kinect pieces strung the laser canons together.

"Come on, let's blast 'em away," Donald said, taking the canon and directing it towards the several ships. He pressed a button and blasted a laser towards the ships. The laser missile flew through the galaxy, but when it met the ships, it dissolved.

"Huh?" Sora said, tilting his head.

"It didn't work!" Goofy shrugged, "Try again?"

Donald quickly arranged the cannon and fired again, watching as the missile shot towards the ships, but dissolved. He rapidly pushed the cannon launch button a dozen times, watching as each laser either dissolved or was reflected it away. "It's not working!"

Sora shook his head, "What the-"

The toy Heartless ships shot a laser beam forwards towards the trio's Gummi Ship. The laser beam struck the ship, causing a strange green aura to wrap around the ship.

"What's happening?" Goofy cried out.

The Gummi Ship began morphing, as if it was being stretched and squeezed, Sora, Donald and Goofy along with it. The ship began shrinking as it morphed.

"Oh, I don't like the look of this," Donald sighed.

The Gummi Ship continued warping and growing smaller...until it blunk like a white dot out of the atmosphere.

* * *

 **Galaxy Toys**

Sora soon awoke, the darkness clearing from his vision as his eyes focused. He found himself lying on the hard surface of a wooden floor. He lifted himself up and brushed off the dust that had appeared all over his uniform. Donald and Goofy soon rose from their similar positions behind him.

He turned his head, still confused at that last Gummi Ship escapade, but he soon realized that they had been transported to a new place.

"What in the world...," Sora said, looking around the new setting. They seemed to be in a child's room by the look of things - a child who most definitely loved their toys.

Toys were clattered around the room. On their left was a soccer ball and a colorful xylophone. Ahead, he could make out a tall wooden desk by the window next to a cardboard box filled with drawing of western desert and town backdrops. The stars that lined the wallpaper of the room were often masked by drawing and posters from some of the child's favorite toys and action figures.

Sora took another look around the room, "Where are we?"

It only took a moment longer to realize it, once they'd moved out from under the bed, but they'd discovered that the three of them had been shrunk down in size, very much like what had happened in Wonderland. Everything in the child's room seemed so much bigger than it should have now.

Sora gasped and his eyes went wide, "Oh my gosh, have we been shrunk?" His eyes went even wider when he got a better look at himself and his friends. "And...look at us!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy had visibily changed. They looked as if they were made of plastic; very rigid and somewhat less defined in shape, almost as if they were made out of toy blocks. It didn't take them long to discover that, whatever world they had landed in, they had become toys themselves, almost like action figures.

On their other voyages, they had been transformed in certain worlds as to not appear to be outsiders. They turned into sea creatures in Atlantica, animals of the savannah desert in the Pridelands and now, toys in this new world.

"It's to protect the world order," Donald said, taking a few steps forward into the room.

Goofy turned to see a group of Heartless form. "Who's gonna protect the worlds order from them?"

The Heartless themselves appeared to be toys now, too. All of them wielded laser guns, similar to the ones the Heartless ships had fired at them in the Gummi Ship. The creatures almost looked like space cadets, wearing masks and pointing their laser guns forward, waiting for the trio to approach to begin their confrontation.

"Heartless," Sora and Donald said in unison, before summoning their weapons to their grasps and running into battle with the creatures.

The battle begin as Sora, Donald and Goofy charged forward to take out the toy Heartless. The three succesffuly dodged their creatures' laser guns that were blasted at them, as the scuffle continued around the toy-cluttered room. As Donald and Goofy took out a swarm of the beings, Sora leapt up onto the large bed to initiate a powerful impact attack. While up there, he could see the bedspread had featured a famous action figure from that world - Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

"Don't give up!" He heard Goofy say, quickly looking back down to see his friend healing Donald, who'd been knocked out from one of the Heartless.

Without another moment to spare, Sora leapt up into the air, manuevering himself into the center of the room and brought his Keyblade down hard on the last several Heartless.

Once the battle was done, the three summoned their weapons away.

"Are they knew?" They heard a voice call out from behind them.

The three turned around to find four toys approach them - a pink piggy bank, a western cowboy, what looked like a space ranger and a large green dinosaur. The four toys cautiously walked up to the three newcomers.

From the cardboard box and under the desk, more toys appeared. What looked like small, platic green army cadets emerged from under the desk, while three green, three-eyed alien creatures emerged from their hiding spot in the box.

The cowboy spoke to Sora first, a curious look as he examined the three, "So you're...Andy's new toys?"

"Toys!?" Donald and Goofy said together.

"You sure did a number on those masked intruders," the cowboy said with a hint of an impressed tone in his voice.

"Those are the Heartless," Goofy explained.

"The bad guys," Donald followed.

Sora looked at the toys, "Have they been a problem around here?"

The cowboy shook his head and placed a hand on his hip, "No. They just showed up recently."

The space ranger then spoke, placing his fingers to his chin as he thought out loud, "In fact, those 'Heartless' materialized...right after all of our friends vanished."

Sora quickly spoke to the cowboy and the space ranger, "Have you got any clues we can go on - any other strange things that happened?"

"Well..." The cowboy said, tilting his head, deep in thought, "There's one thing."

"One big thing," the pink piggy bank said.

"Huge, sir," the lead cadet of the green army men said.

"What thing?!" The green dinosaur said in a panic as he looked at the group.

The space ranger moved closer to the three new toys, "After Andy and the others went MIA, the intruders didn't come alone. They arrived with a guy wearing a hood, dressed in black just like you are."

"A black hood?" Sora said, "But that would mean - "

"Organization XIII!" Donald and Goofy said together.

"You know who it is," the cowboy asked the three.

"We may have a hunch what's causing the weirdness around here," Sora explained. "Would you mind if we handle this?"

The cowboy shook his head, "Sorry. We're not gonna leave this to you."

"Huh?" Sora tilted his head, taken aback by the cowboy's frank rejection of their help.

The cowboy continued, a stern look on his face, "If that guy had something to do with our friends vanishing, he's our problem, too." The cowboy outstretched his hand towards Sora, offering a handshake, "We've gotta work together."

Sora smiled and happily shook the cowboy's hand, "Right!"

The mutual agreement and start of a new friendship caused the toys to happily jitter with excitement, as they all agreed to work together to help find Andy's missinng toys and their missing friends.

Sora took his hand away from the cowboy's, still curious about the hooded intruder, "So then, where can we find him?"

"Sarge!" The cowboy turned to the leader of the green army men and knelt down on one knee before the commander, "Any word from the recon team?"

"The latest reports place him in town, sir. Galaxy Toys!" Commander Sarge explained.

The green army leader pointed to a brochure on Andy's wall of the store that offered coupons and the latest display of their new toy products. From what Sora could tell from the flyer, the store seemed huge and offered every toy imaginable, from 'Gigas Robots' all the way to 'Julia, the Dress Queen' dolls.

"Then Galaxy Toys is where we're going," the space ranger said.

"Follow me," the cowboy spoke to the three, before looking up to the open window above the desk. "It's out the window and down the roof."

"Got it," Sora said with a smile. "By the way, I'm Sora. This here's Donald and that's Goofy."

"Hiya!" Donald said.

"It's nice to meet ya," continued Goofy.

The cowboy smiled, "The name's Woody, the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west."

The space ranger greeted the three, "I am Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, I come in peace."

"It's nice to meet you," Sora said, smiling at the two new companions. "Come on, we should get to Galaxy Toys and rescue your friends!"

"Buzz! Woody!" Rex, the large dinosaur, panicked and said, "What should we do until you get back?! More of us might disappear!"

"Calm down, Rex," Buzz said. "Keep a close eye on one another to make sure no one else is taken."

"I'll make sure Rex here doesn't cause the other toys to panic," Hamm, the piggy bank said. "If the barrel monkeys hear about more of us disappearing, those crazy primates will lose their bananas."

"Good job, guys," Woody said, turning back to the other friends, "Come on, Sora. Let's go."

Woody and Buzz directed the three friends up the side of Andy's bed, climbing up the wooden bed post until they ran across the freshly laid out blanket that topped the cushioned bed. The bed ran along the wall and was sat opposite of the wooden desk by the window.

"Follow me," Buzz commanded, running across the blanket, towards the pillow. The space ranger leapt up into the air, jumped down onto the fluffy pillow and was propelled into the air. Buzz did a flip in the air and landed securely on the wooden desk, just next to the open window.

"Whoa," Sora marveled. "It's like he actually flew."

"You'd be surprised," Woody remarked with a smile. "When Andy first got him for his birthday, he used to tell all of us about everything he could do. I'd fight with him all the time. Boy, was I jealous."

Donald squinted and laughed at Sora, "Hmm, sounds a little like you and Riku."

Sora's eyes widened, offended, "What? Yeah right!"

"Travelers, this way!" Buzz called out to the others from the window.

The three and Woody ran to the pillow, where they bounced off the fluffy surface and landed on the desk in a heap. They brushed themselves off and went to the window alongside Buzz.

Buzz looked outside the window and did some reconaissance of the residential surbuban street that Andy's house had been on. It was a sunny afternoon in the neighborhood and was a relatively quiet day. The group watched as a few cars made their way up and down the residential street.

"You know the way to Galaxy Toys from here," Sora asked Woody and Buzz.

"Sure we do," Woody said. "They'd built it right across the street from Pizza Planet. It's one of Andy's favorite places to go. He always takes some of his toys along for the car ride there."

"We know the route to take," Buzz nodded. "Right this way."

He leapt out the window and onto the roof of the house, trailing down the roof above the garage, which led to the driveway of the house. Sora and the others followed him out down onto the roof of the house and raced down to the edge.

"It's a far drop down," Goofy examined.

"Relax, friends. You won't break yourselves," Buzz assurred. "Terillium-carbonic alloy is a sturdy material. You'll be fine."

"But Buzz, we really aren't toys," Sora began. "We're jus-"

Donald jabbed Sora in the side, "Hush!"

"Okay, on my signal." Buzz said to them, "One...two...three!"

The five toys jumped off the side of the roof and down into the yard below, where they fell into one of the shrub bushes at the front of the house.

Sora used his Keyblade to clear the back of leaves out of his and the others' way, as they emerged into the grass lawn of Andy's house.

"Where do we go from here," Goofy asked.

Buzz surveyed the area, "At the intersection at the end of the street, we take a right until we spot Sunnyside Day Care. Further down the block, we take a left until we spot the Pizza Planet space sign. Galaxy World will be right across the street!"

Donald sighed, "Sounds like a long walk..."

"No need to worry," Buzz patted Donald on the back. "It will be a quick journey."

More of the Heartless toy cadets appeared in the lawn, this time, arriving with Heartless sheriffs that wielded pistols and lassos. The Heartless stomped through the grassy lawn.

"Well, it'll be a much longer journey with these guys to deal with," Woody said.

"That's where we come in," Sora said, charging into another battle against the Heartless.

The three engaged in battle aginst the creatures, but were now joined in battle along with Woody and Buzz, who lassoed and karate-chopped through the dark creatures, respectively. They fought until the lawn and neighboring yards were clear of Heartless.

The five of them made their way along the side walk, passing under mailboxes and light posts, slowly passing house after house as they made their way down the street and to the intersection stop light at the end of the block.

Another several groups of Heartless appeared in the lawns, which the group quickly fought through and disposed of.

They neared the end of the block, but it already felt as though they'd been at it, traveling and fighting, for an hour. Once they'd reached the end of the sidewalk, they stood underneath the stop light.

"How much longer from here," Sora asked the two other toys.

"About a mile left to reach our destination," Buzz hypothesized.

"Is that in human-sized miles or toy-sized miles," Sora asked.

"Human-sized, of course," Buzz smiled.

"Ah, geez..." Donald sighed, exasperated. "Of course, it would be a longer walk."

"This could take all day," Goofy said.

Woody crossed his arms and pouted, before the sound of a truck driving down the street caught his attention. "Drop down!" He whispered to the other toys.

"What?" Sora quickly asked.

"Listen to the cowboy, key-bearing warrior!" Buzz warned, dropping to the floor along with Woody, where the two assumed the appearance that they were regular, ordinary action toys.

Sora, Donald and Goofy fell to the sidewalk in a heap, where they remained as still as they could, trying to pass off the appearance that they were just a set of discarded action figures.

The truck pulled to a stop at the intersection when it hit a red light.

"Look at that," Woody whispered to the others, catching their attention. On the side of the truck was a large logo for Galaxy Toys.

"Good eyes, sheriff," Buzz whispered back. "A delivery truck to Galaxy Toys..."

"We could sneak a ride and cut out the walking," Woody said.

"That's exactly what we'll do. We'll sneak our way in at the back," Buzz said, but gasped when he saw the driver getting out of the truck. "The driver's getting out! Remain still!"

Two of the delivery men hopped out of the truck and brushed off their delivery uniform.

"Ay yo, Bob, you see this over here?" One of the delivery men said walking towards the sidewalk. "Check it out!"

"Yo, we got the resta these deliveries to make." The other delivery man said, "Get your ass back in the truck, Chris!"

"No, no, look! There's a Buzz Lightyear and Woody just layin' here, man!" The giant delivery man loomed over the toys and picked the two up. "Holy shi-, my kids gonna love this, man."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatver," the other delivery man said. "What the hell's up with those other toys lying there."

The delivery man looked down, "Eh, looks like some old, dirty Donald Duck and Goofy figure. Wonder if they're from a limited edition collection or sumthin'."

"Oh, my God. Who the hell cares," the other delivery man said.

The delivery man picked up the Donald and Goofy and placed them in his arms next to Buzz and Woody. He spotted the last action figure on the floor, "Yo, what the heck? Who's this freak? What movie's he from?"

"Probably one of those stupid cute, little monster games," the other delivery man said, agitated, before climbing back into the truck.

"Well, you're comin' along, too, buddy," the delivery man said, picking Sora up, too and taking the five toys back to the delivery truck, where he placed them in-between him and his work partner. "Yo, my kid's gonna love them."

Woody leaned over to Sora and whispered, "Galaxy Toys, here we come."

* * *

Back in Mickey's memories, Riku, Aqua and Goofy waited patiently outside of the castle gates while they were certain Mickey must have been exploring the castle grounds.

Riku placed his hands on his bare arms and rubbed them in an attempt to warm himself out in the cold night, "I wonder where Mickey is inside. Pluto couldn't have run too far..."

"I don't know," Aqua said. "But I hope he hurries. It's getting too cold out here."

The sound of barking then came from around the side of the castle wall. They turned to look.

"Pluto?"

Sure enough, the golden dog came running from around the curved castle wall and towards the three that stood on the outskirts of Disney Town. Pluto stopped just short of the three and barked up at them.

"Pluto, what are you doing here?" Riku knelt down in front of the dog. "Mickey's looking for you."

Goofy scratched his head, "Gawrsh Pluto, have you seen Mickey anywhere."

Pluto barked again and turned to point his nose towards the castle door.

"Mickey's still in the castle," Aqua asked. "What could he be doing in there?"

Inside the great Disney Castle at the heart of Disney Town, Mickey meandered down the great hall, staring at the tall ornate ceilings and tapestries that dangled above. It seemed remarkable to be able to live in such an immaculate place when he didn't even have a home to call his own.

He looked down; the floor was so polished, he could see his own reflection staring back at him. It then suddenly started him when he saw an identical reflection of himself in prince's robes peak out from over his shoulder.

Mickey let out a startled cry after spotting the convincing double and quickly spun around.

The two mice met face to face and both let out startled yells when they discovered that they were physically identical, just one in prince's clothes while the other in peasant's. The two carefully examined every detail of the other's appearance. They were exactly identical.

"You look just like-" The both said at the same time, "I just look like-"

"Wait, wait, wait. Just a moment." The prince said, in a slight English accent, as he studied Mickey's robes. "Now, who are you, and who is your tailor?"

"The name's Mickey, Mickey Mouse, your royal Highness," he replied nervously in the presence of royalty.

"Ah, a beggar boy!" The prince remarked, "Well, Mickey, I must thank you for saving my life."

"What do you mean," Mickey asked.

"I was dying of boredom when you interrupted my lesson," the prince said, leading Mickey away from the hall and to his private quarters. "Do you know what it's like to be the prince?"

Mickey marveled and smiled, "Oh, boy! It must be fun-"

"I never have a moment to myself," the prince stated, matter-of-factly. "Breakfast at 7:00, lessons until lunch, fencing until tea time and every night, banquet after feast after banquet!"

Mickey thought the the life of being the prince was so wondrous and exciting, "Wow!"

"And then 9:00, bedtime!" The prince concluded, "Oh, how I envy your freedom...No studying dreary, old books. Staying up late as you like, eating junk food. Oh, if I could take your place for just one day..."

A remarkable idea came to the prince then. "Yes, what a grand idea!" The prince took off his feathered cap and gave it to Mickey, followed by taking Mickey's peasant cap and placing it on his own head. "Don't you see? It'll be perfect! I'll take your place with your friends in the streets of Disney Town, and you shall be the prince!"

"The prince!?" Mickey's eyes widened and he continued on, nervously, "I can't be the prince! Wh-why, how do I act? What do I say?"

"You needn't worry, lad," the prince assured. "To govern, you need to say only one of two things: 'That's a splended idea. I'm glad I thought of it,' and 'Guards, seize him!'"

Mickey shook his head, still uncertain over the whole idea, "B-b-but your father, the King!"

"I'll be back in the wink of an eye," the prince said, removing his royal robes to hand them Mickey, who did the same with his own as they re-dressed themselves. "And if there's any trouble, all may know me by this..." the prince said, flashing Mickey a golden ring around his finger that bore the kingdom's insignia.

"Wow..." Mickey marveled, then looked up at the prince. "I'm not sure...I'm not sure this is a good idea!"

"You'll do fine, Mickey," the prince said, starting to march away from his chambers and to the grand hall. "Why, you're looking royal already! Goodbye, Mickey."

"Wh-why, you won't forget to come back now, will ya?" Mickey hesitantly asked.

But by the time Mickey asked, the real prince had already left for the hall to escape the castle and venture out into the outside world beyond the castle walls.

"G-goodbye..." Mickey replied, sheepishly.

The prince made his way down the grand hall and out into the garden filled with shrubs and topiaries. Captain Pete was leaned up against the white wall of the castle, minding his own business and whistling to himself as he took a puff of smoke from his cigar. The prince cheerfully walked past him, almost forgetting he was now in Mickey's peasant clothing.

"Why, hello, Captain," the prince said to him.

Pete's eyes opened and he quickly grabbed the small mouse, "Ah, my little peasant. Embarrass me in front of the prince, will ya?!"

"Peasant!?" The prince questioned, appalled. "Captain, I fooled you. I am the prince!"

Pete replied back in a mockingly unapologetic tone, "Ohhh, forgive me, my royal liege!" He lifted the prince up into the air and walked over to a wooden catapult that had been kept behind a set of garden shrubs. He placed the prince down in the catapult, unknown to him.

"Why, how thoughtful of you, Captain," the prince said.

"I live to serve..." Captain Pete mocked, before pulling on a rope, which violently propelled the catapult to launch the prince high, high into the air and out of the castle grounds. "Sayonara, sucker!" Pete called up to the ascending mouse.

The prince landed like a hard stone into a pile of fluffy, white snow, just a short distance away from Pluto, Riku, Aqua and Goofy. He pulled himself up out of the pile and brushed the snow off of him.

"I did it," the prince happily cheered. "I'm free! I fooled him! Now, nothing's going to spoil my fun!"

"Mickey!" Aqua and Riku said together.

Pluto barked and ran up to the prince. Once there, his nose sniffed out an unusual scent coming from the mouse, one that did not belong to his owner. His excitement died down ehn he realized that this mouse was not actually Mickey.

"Mickey!" Goofy said, running up to the prince - now peasant. "There you are!"

The prince noticed Riku, Aqua and Goofy running up to him, "Ah, my first encounter with the peasantry!"

"Where'd ya go, Mickey?" Goofy asked. "We worried somethin' bad happened to you in that castle!"

"You okay, Mickey?" Riku asked.

The prince coughed and straightened, trying his best to eliminate his naturally-given English accent, "Oh, oh, yes. That is me, Mickey Mouse. Peasant-at-large. My good man, you must forgive me. I'm dreadful with names."

Aqua and Riku looked to each other, concerned.

"He just remembered us moments ago," Aqua whispered to him. "You don't think he could have forgotten us again, do you?"

"Could I have your names again," the prince asked.

"What's the matter with the one ya got," Goofy joked. "I'm Goofy, remember?"

"And I'm Riku," he said.

"Aqua," she followed. "You remember us, Mickey."

"Ah, of course." The prince said. "And, my dear friends, if there's anything I can do to help, by all means, let me know."

Goofy remained puzzled for a moment, before letting out a silly laugh, "Oh, I get it! It's a joke! Ayuk, that's a good one!"

The prince turned from the group then, "Well, would you look at the time? I really must be going. Ta-ta!"

"Mickey, wait!" Riku called out to the mouse, he began to sprint away through the snowfields and into the town.

"Hey, Mickey! Come back here," Goofy called out to his presumed friend. "Wait for us!"

Aqua turned to Riku, "What do you think that was about?"

"I don't know," replied Riku, who remained in a puzzled state over his friend's odd behavior. It was Mickey's memory, after all, so perhaps that was messing around with the mouse's mind in this memory world, but something still seemed off about their encounter. "Something definitely seemed...unusual."

"We should look into it," Aqua said, tracking down the mouse's footprints in the snow and chasing after him, along with Riku and Goofy.

* * *

It wasn't long before the Galaxy Toys delivery truck had reached its' destination and parked outside the store in the main parking lot of the building.

"Ay, yo, let's unload the rest of this crap before the boss let's us have it," one of the delivery men said, stepping out of the delivery truck, not bothering to close the door behind them.

Piled together between the two front seats, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Woody and Buzz remained silent and still.

Sora finally exhaled out, finding it incredibly difficult to remain so quiet and motionless, especially while listening to the two delivery men go back and forth with one another the entire ride. He was surprised how difficult it was too actually pass off as being just a 'toy'. He figured it was because he wasn't _actually_ a toy, it's just that Woody and Buzz made it look so much easier. A lot of practice, he presumed.

"Come on, now's our chance," Woody whispered to the others.

"We make a run for it and slide through the store's moving glass doors before being detected," Buzz planned. "Let's go!"

The five toys piled out of the open car door as quietly as they could, thankful that the delivery men had been distracted with unloading dozens of boxes off of the back of the truck.

"Hey, watch it!" One of the delivery men called out as boxes came toppling down on him.

The five toys ran up to the entrance of Galaxy Toys and met an unexpected obstacle when the sliding glass doors of the store remained shut as they approached.

"No, no, no! How do we get in," Woody complained. "Usually when Andy takes me here, the doors just open for him and his mom!"

"Well, we gotta thing up something soon," Sora said. "If those guys finish their deliveries, they'll be wondering how we managed to make it all the way out here from the truck!"

Buzz examined the door, "We have to create a force large enough for the door's sensor to trigger, causing the sliding glass plates to open for us."

"We should all try jumping on the entrance pad together," Sora suggested and the toys agreed. "Okay? Here goes...1...2...3!"

All of the toys jumped up at the same time and landed on the padded mat at the entrance to Galaxy Toys. The door's sensor was triggered and the glass doors slid open.

"Got it!" Sora smiled, accomplished, rushing into the large toy store followed by the other four.

"Whoa," Sora said, taking a long look at the store. Before them were rows upon rows of aisles stacked to the hilt with all sorts of toys. At their height, the store seemed to stretch on for miles. "This place is huge."

"From the reconaissance I and the army men have done of Galaxy Toys, this fortress is five floors tall," Buzz explained. "The hooded, cloaked figure could be anywhere inside, but Sarge's findings say that he was last seen on the fifth floor."

"If we find him, we should be able to find the other missing toys," Donald reminded. "That is, if they were the one responsible for taking them in the first place."

"Who was taken from Andy's room," Goofy asked Buzz and Woody.

"Well, there was my cowgirl partner, Jessie, and my horse, Bullzye...Bo Peep..." Woody said.

"Slink...Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head disappeared, too," Buzz finished. "They must be somewhere in the store, wherever the cloaked figure had hidden them."

"Well, let's go find the cloaked figure and have him return them to Andy's room," Sora said, turning to face the store. "Let's tear this place apart until we find him!"

The team entered into the first floor of the store, which was themed to a deep, tropical jungle. Fake fire torches lined the huge shelves of toys, which boasted dinosaur and primeval-era themed toys. The aisles were lined with dinosaur action figures and rubber puppets, boxes of remote controlled dinosaurs and a variety of all sorts of other dino-themed toys which occupied all the spaces on the shelves of the entire first floor of the store.

"Rex would have fit right in here if he'd tagged along with us," Woody said, taking in the primeval theme of the store's first floor.

"You think your friends are hidden somewhere in the store," Sora asked the cowboy and the space cadet as they made their way through the aisles.

"I'm not too sure," Buzz said, walking alongside them.

The eyes of several dinosaurs in the store illuminated then, unbeknownst to the group, as the primeval toys slowly shifted their head to stare down the group as they passed.

"I'm thinking wherever our friends are, the hooded figure must be with them," Buzz said. "They didn't start to disappear until he showed up. He only seemed to appear here, at the highest floor of the store."

Sora nodded, "Well, I guess that's where we're heade-" He was cut off by the sound of a loud stomp.

Donald and Goofy looked around the store, "Did you hear that?"

Another large series of stomps rumbled through the store.

"What was that?" Sora asked.

Suddenly then, all the dinosaur toys sprung to life, charging towards the group of friends. A dark aura spread around the charging dinosaurs.

"More Heartless!" Donald said.

"Dino-Heartless!" Goofy continued, "Twice as terrifying!"

"Stand your ground, men," Buzz commanded.

"We fight through until we can get to the moving stairs at the back of the room," Woody said.

The team immediately went to work at cutting and fighting their way through the rampaging dinosaur Heartless. The creatures stomped and chomped at the group, who counter-attacked back. As Sora and the others fought off the dinosaurs, when the creatures were defeated one by one, they fell to their side in a heap, sparks of electricity crackling from the broken dino toys.

It wasn't long before the toy aisle was filled with a series of sparking, broken dinosaur toys. Yet, the battle continued as the group fought their way to the back end of the store, where an escalator rose to the second floor of the store.

"They just keep on coming," Woody said, throwing his lasso around one creatures leg and swinging them away.

"There's no way we can take out all of them in the store," Donald said, casting a lightning spell at the carnivorous dinosaurs. "There must be thousands of 'em!"

"Then we gotta get to the next level," Sora said, turning his back on the dinosaurs and running towards the escalator. "Come on!"

Donald and Goofy let out a yell, as they chased after their friend.

Buzz turned to Woody, "He's right. If we're going to save our friends, we can't wear ourselves out at just the beginning. We have to move."

Woody pat Buzz on the shoulder, "Behind you, space ranger."

The two followed after their three new friends and raced towards the moving escalator, where they jumped up onto the moving metal step, as it whisked them away to the second floor of the store.

They looked behind them to see the dinosaur toys gathered at the base of the escalator, threateningly chomping their jaws and roaring out as they watched the team escape upward. The dark aura around them soon faded and disappeared, causing the dinosaurs to fall over to the ground - they were just toys again.

Sora and the others hopped over the plate at the end of the escalator and arrived at the second floor of Galaxy Toys. They were surprised by what they saw.

Pink. Everywhere.

The aisles were pink, the floor was pink, the toy packaging was pink. Everything was so pink, it almost hurt the eyes to stare at the bright pastel color. The aisles were lined with dolls, dolls and even more dolls, from floor to ceiling. Dress up dolls, make-up application dolls, dolls of every job description imaginable, an entire floor filled with nothing but dolls.

There, at the back of the store, a huge pink mansion, marketed as the 'DreamHouse' stood, surrounded by kid-sized pink jeeps that showcased the holiday's must-have gifts for every girl that season.

"I don't think I've ever seen so much pink in my life before," Sora said, staring at the aisles before him.

"Oh, isn't it all so grand," a light, pretty feminine voice said.

The team turned their attention to the pink mansion, where the doors opened to reveal a beautiful doll, with flowing brunette hair in a cascading pink ballgown that flowed out around her.

"Who are you," Donald asked up to her, becoming somewhat infatuated with the beautiful maiden.

She let out a girlish giggle, "Why, I am Julia, the DressQueen and it is such a wonderful day, isn't it? Because you're all here. And I am, oh, so glad."

All five of the toys stared up at the maiden blankly for a moment, before dreamy expressions fell on all of their faces. Being in the presence of the beautiful maiden was like taking all of the happiest things in the world and putting them into one person.

"Oh, how happy I am to get these lovely visitors to the mansion today," Julia said. "Please, please, do come in and take a rest!"

"Oh, I don't really think-" Sora started.

"QUIET." Julia said, her voice turning dark, almost like a lion's growl. She brought her hand to her mouth, embarrassed. Her light voice returned, "Oh, whoopsie. I mean, please come in, lovely people..." She batted her eyes and flashed a smile.

Without a word, Julia took Donald and Goofy by the arms, still somewhat infatuated with the doll, as she lightly giggled all the way to the mansion. The others followed Julia into the pink doors of the pink mansion, where everything else was also...pink.

Julia took the toys through the grand foyer of the mansion and escorted them to the dining room, where she placed them at their seats around a table filled with plastic, sugary treats.

"Gawrsh, this is awful nice of you," Goofy said.

Julia smiled, giving a blank stare, "I am Julia, the DressQueen, and I am honored to have you as a guest in my lovely home. What a grand day this shall be!"

Sora leaned over to Donald and whispered, "Is it just me...or does something seem kind of off here?"

"It's just you," Donald replied back.

"It gets so lonely in the mansion sometimes, I never get any visitors here," Julia said, sadly, but was unable to remove the plastic smile from her face.

"What about all the other dolls in the store," Sora asked. "There must be hundreds of them on this floor."

She sighed, "Oh, they just don't know what it's like to be 'the DressQueen'. They could never understand..."

"Understand what?" Sora asked, "Is all you do is wear dresses?"

"IS ALL YOU DO IS BE AN INSOLENT BRAT?" Julia replied back in a dark, deep voice, causing her to cover her mouth with her hands as her eyes widened. She giggled, "Oh, excuse me. Oh, what a joyous day this is!" She giggled again.

Sora stared at her for a moment, "Yeah, I'm outta here."

"Sora, wait for us," called Goofy, as he and the others got up from the table.

"No, please, you musn't go," Julie cried out to her visitors. "I never have anyone else here to talk to. You can't go!"

Sora sighed, heading towards the door of the mansion, "Look, lady, we can't stay here. We have to find our missing friends in the store."

Julia's eyes turned dark then, as she stared at Sora with a happily terrifying smile. "I said 'YOU. CAN'T. GO.'"

Sora pushed past the DressQueen and made his way towards the door, "Look, just get outta the way."

"Sora, don't be rude," Donald called out to his friend.

Julia beat him to the large pink doors and shut them behind her, blocking off access to the exit. "How unpleasant. It's never endearing to be rude to your host."

"I wasn't being rude," Sora defended. "You're just trying to keep us locked in here!"

"Oh, I'm going to do so much more than that..." Julia replied back, in a girlish giggle...that soon grew in loudness, almost sounding insane.

All infatuations the team have for Julia, the DressQueen, soon changed as the team realized how maniacal the doll actually was. Her wicked laugh rivaled that of Maleficent's, as the team watched as the doll's eyes rolled into the back of her head, leaving the whites of her eyes to be seen.

"Step aside!" Sora demanded, but found that Julia worked quickly and gripped him by the throat

Julia's sickeningly sweet smile remained, as Sora looked up into her blank white eyes, as if staring at a demon's The doll's head slowly twisted in a full circle at the top of her neck. "I'm Julia, the DressQueen, and I'm GOING TO DESTROY YOU."

The team let out a startled cry, watching as the doll outstretched her one free hand that wasn't holding Sora's throat out towards them, almost like a zombie.

"Oh, no," Goofy cried, "Shes's hurting Sora!"

The team retrieved their weapons and prepared for battle.

"At ease, recruits." Buzz said, "One wrong move and Sora could get broken. A toy's a delicate thing."

"We don't have time for that," Sora said, breathing out heavily from the hand that was squeezing his throat. He quickly summoned his Keyblade and sliced through Julia's arm, severing the limb from her body.

"AAAAGH," Julia cried, clutching her plastic arm, looking at the boy with petrified horror. "YOU WILL PAY."

The doll ran forward towards the team, her razor-sharp claws extended in front of her, like a predator honing in on its' kill.

Goofy charged towards the doll with his shield, blocking the claws that swiped at them and hitting the doll back.

The demon doll scowled out, "INSOLENT FOOLS."

"She's lost her marbles," Buzz said to Woody, as the two joined in battle doing the best that they could to fight off the demon doll, all the while dodging the insane queen's attacks.

Sora leapt up in the air and brought his Keyblade down, slashing at the DressQueen and slicing right through her neck, decapitating the doll.

Julia's head landed right at Donald's feet. "Yuck!"

Emanating from where Julia's head once stood on her neck, a dark aura glowed from the decapidated body, before fading away. The doll's body fell to the floor in a heap.

"Phew," Goofy said, brushing the sweat from his face. "I'm glad that's over."

Donald sighed, relieved.

The severed head then spoke, "I'm Julia, the DressQueen, and gosh, that was fun!"

All of them screamed and quickly bolted from the pink mansion, racing back down that floor and to the escalator that was on the opposite side of the room.

"Come on, let's get outta here before any more of these dolls try to attack us," Sora said.

"To the third floor," Buzz called out, racing with the other four to the escalator.

From the top of the escalator, hidden away in the shadows, an evil toy let out a laugh, as he watched the toys near his hiding place. "Hmph, hmph, hmph. I have you now!" He turned with a twirl of his cape to prepare for battle.

"Up this way, guys," Woody called out to the toys, heading to the escalator to the next floor.

The toys ascended upwards and when they arrived at the next level of the store, they discovered that the entire third floor had been themed to some galactic, outer-space setting. Suspended above the aisles filled with space-themed toys, planets and meteors were suspended from the roof which was filled with glow in the dark stars. The entire third level seemed to be cast in a dark blue hue that made the aisles seem endless, casting a darker tone to this floor of the store - almost as if they were in outer space.

"Come on, the escalator should be straight ahead," Buzz said. He ran down the main aisle that stood at the center between the several shelves of toys.

"Buzz, wait for us," Woody called out to his friend.

The lights in the room suddenly shut off then, leaving the toys in the dark. A single circle of light came down from the roof above, illuminating the far end of the aisle.

From out of the darkness, the devious toy, the evil Emperor Zurg stepped into the light, beam gun in hand. "So, we meet again, Buzz Lightyear,...for the last time!" The evil emperor's voice rang out in a deep tone, his bright red eyes illuminating his foreboding, otherworldly appearance.

"Emperor Zurg," Buzz called out to the enemy.

"Who?" Donald asked Woody.

"Emperor Zurg," Woody repeated. "He's Buzz's sworn arch-nemesis from the Planet Zurg, set on taking over the galaxy and destroying Star Command!"

Zurg let out an evil laugh, raising his gun towards Buzz and the other toys. "Prepare to meet your doom."

"Ha, your Ion Blaster can't take me down," Buzz boasted, preparing for battle.

Zurg scowled and began firing blasts at Buzz, who skillyfully dodged the initial firings and leapt up into the air above Zurg. The evil emperor continued firing, launching ion blasts up towards the large planets and meteors that hung from the ceiling. The blasts weakened the chains and rope that suspended the orbs above.

Sora ran forward, attempting to join the battle, but was stopped when Woody pulled him back. "What's the matter."

"This is Buzz's fight," Woody explained to Sora. "He has to do this on his own. We can't interfere."

"But, don't you want to help your friend," Sora asked Woody, somewhat distracted by the dueling space toys.

"Of course I want to help Buzz," Woody said. "But I trust him. He needs to fight this battle on his own. He needs to believe that what his heart is telling him to do is right."

Sora thought about what the cowboy said. "His...heart?"

It didn't even occur to him until just now when Woody had said it. They were toys, they were made of plastic. They weren't real...they couldn't have a heart, could they?

Buzz somersaulted in the air above Zurg, landing behind the evil emperor. Just as Zurg turned around to blast Buzz, the space ranger shot his arm forward and pressed a button down on his armlet, causing a laser beam built into his suit to blind Zurg.

"AARGH! Useless light!" Zurg yelled, clutching his eyes. With the affects of the piercing light fading from his vision, Zurg continued shooting at Buzz, doubling the speed at firing his blasts.

Buzz dodge-rolled around the aisle in a circle around Zurg, making himself unable to be struck. The two continued to go at it. As Zurg shot at Buzz, he would dodge out of the way and counter by using his laser to blind the emperor. The same routine lasted for several rounds, neither one seemingly getting the upper hand on the other.

Zurg pressed down on a button on his armlet, having saved a secret attack, which caused a force field to shoot forward, directly at Buzz, knocking the space ranger down hard to the floor.

"Buzz," Sora cried out, watching his friend falter.

Zurg slowly took a few steps towards the fallen space ranger, his gun pointed forward at him. He let out another dark laugh, "Surrender Buzz Lightyear! I have won!"

"I'll never give in," Buzz replied, catching his breath. "You killed my father!"

"No, Buzz..." Zurg straightened then, staring deeply down at him, "...I _am_ your father."

Sora, Donald and Goofy looked at one another with overly-shocked expressions on their faces from the drama that played out.

"Nooooooo," Buzz cried out, as his voice echoed through the store.

A slight cracking sound was heard from up above, causing Sora to look up to the tall ceiling above. The chains had been greatly compromised when Zurg had fired a blast upwards. He saw the chains suspending a meteorite jingle and shake, before snapping, sending the meteorite falling.

Zurg aimed his blaster at his son, "Prepare to meet you end, Buzz Lightyear."

The meteorite came crashing down hard, landing right on top of Zurg, crushing the evil emperor.

Buzz looked at the meteorite which had just barely missed him, seeing that Zurg had been crushed by the massive boulder. The space cadet sighed and placed his hand over his chest, "Goodbye, father..."

"Come on, Buzz," Woody said, walking up to the forlorn space man and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We have to keep moving on if we're going to find our friends."

"You're right, Woody," Buzz said, his face becoming determined. "We have to find that cloaked man and get our friends back to Andy!"

"To the fourth floor," Sora said. "It's the final floor of Galaxy Toys! The cloaked figure has to be there!"

* * *

In Yen Sid's tower, Lea remained at the summit of the wayward stairs that led to Yen Sid's loft, keeping a close eye on any Heartless or intruders that attempted to make their way into the heroes' home base. With the help of Yen Sid's magical powers, an invisible barrier was formed that repelled the Xehanort's darkness away, so he wasn't too concerned about needing to fight. Though, after Vanitas had already attacked Kairi once, he didn't want to take any chances and remained alert during his watch.

In the next chamber over, Ansem was sat at Yen Sid's chair behind the desk, while Kairi sat herself up on the corner of the desk and faced her uncle. The two of them had talked for a long while about their pasts, about the many years separated from one another and how Ansem helped send her and her mother away to the islands all those years ago. There was so much to talk about, they hand't realized how quickly the time had passed and night had fallen outside the tower.

"When the darkness threatened to consume Radiant Garden from Maleficent's wrath, I knew I had to do my duty to protect you and your mother," Ansem explained. "I'd sent you away from the castle with your mother, never knowing where you'd went, never knowing if I'd ever see you again..."

Kairi sighed, "And my father, grandmother, they..."

Ansem lowered his had and spoke quietly, "They passed away in the darkness' destruction over Radiant Garden, moments before I was banished to the Realm of Darkness by my apprentices."

She closed her eyes, feeling tears well up in them. Although, it happened so long ago, the pain still felt very fresh. She'd always had questions about what happened to her father and grandmother and, in her heart, she knew that they had died, but now, to actually hear that they had, it hurt more than she thought it would have.

Kairi looked up through her tears, "It...it was Xehanort, wasn't it? It was him that killed them, right?"

Ansem slowly nodded his head in confirmation, "My apprentice...corrupted by Xehanort's darkness, left to set all the pieces into play that would cause all else to follow."

Kairi sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Xehanort...the darkness...they just have ways of taking what's important away from people. How many worlds have to be destroyed by the darkness? How many lives have to be taken?" She shook her head, "How many times must people lose their loved ones to the darkness?"

Ansem sighed and remained silent, unsure of what to say. His niece was, in her own right, very truthful with what she said. The darkness had taken so much away from everyone and it didn't seem like there was an end to that destruction in sight.

"You know, I don't remember much of my life before the islands," Kairi said, turning to Ansem. "Just a few things here and there."

"Well, you were still so young when our world was taken," Ansem said. "And escaping from a world crumbling to the darkness can be quite a traumatic experience. Your memory could have blocked much of your life there out."

"I think you're right," Kairi said, placing her hands on the desk and leaning back. "Most of what I do remember comes from grandmother...your mother, I suppose."

"Right. I remember all the time she spent with you," Ansem reminisced with a smile, thinking back to the days when he would stare down from his castle watching his mother take care of Kairi. "She wanted to spend every moment with you if she could. I know she'd be proud of you today..."

"I hope so," Kairi said, feeling another tug at her heart. "I miss her. I remember...she would take me down to the flower gardens outside of the castle gate...and she would tell me the story of the light and darkness, about how 'darkness was born in people's heart'...and how the 'light in children's heart would restore the lost world'...I always wondered what she meant."

Ansem looked up, staring closer at Kairi's face, "She told that story to you many times."

"I know, she knew it by heart. I'd memorized it by how many times she told me," Kairi giggled. "It seems so strange that she would know so much about the creation of the darkness from those legends...it seems strange, but it feels like she,well..., that she..."

"Was there to see it for herself?" Ansem finished.

Kairi looked up, a bit curious, "Well,...yes."

He stared at his niece for a long moment, before continuing, "She was."

Her eyes widened, "What? But...what?"

"Yes, your grandmother played a very important role in the Keyblade War of one-hundred years ago," Ansem began to explain. "She was amongst five others who were given the honored responsibility of taking care of the world, training new Keyblade wielders and protecting the light. Foretellers, the legends call them."

"Five foretellers," Kairi pondered. "And grandmother was one of them?"

"Yes." Ansem nodded, "Each of the five led their own union, based on their beliefs and principles, with many other Keyblade wielders looking up to these Fortellers as mentors and guides in the newfound struggle against the light and darkness."

"What happened," Kairi asked curiously.

"I can't say I know everything," Ansem sighed. "In the wake that followed the Keyblade War, something far great and terrible must have happened that split and severed the world into fragments. Your grandmother escaped with those children she spoke about in the story, the Dandelions the legends call them. When the world was fractured into countless pieces, it was the light in these childrens' hearts that restored those pieces into all the worlds amongst the stars."

Kairi remained silent, trying to grasp all the information that had been told to her. It seemed so uncanny that, not only was her grandmother playing a role in the Keyblade War, but that she also played a role in sending other Keyblade wielders to use their light to create countless other worlds, all other worlds.

She knew then, there was much more about the past, her family and their connection to all the events that had transpired since the dawn of darkness.

"I know, it's a lot of information to understand all at once," Ansem nodded and rested back in his chair. "I'm afraid I don't have much more to divulge about the Keyblade War or your grandmother's role."

She nodded, understandingly, "It's okay. I'm actually surprised you'd known so much about it."

Ansem nodded, "While exploring the libraries of my castle in Radiant Garden, I'd stumbled upon a journal kept by your grandmother, a diary of sorts, one in which she'd written out all the details of what had transpired during her time as a Foreteller in the Keyblade War..."

Kairi tilted her head, curious.

Ansem continued, "She'd titled it, 'The Book of Prophecies'."

* * *

In Mickey's memories, at the Disney Castle in the past, Mickey stared at himself in the mirror of the prince's chambers, now dressed in the most luxurious princely robes that even the most noble of royals couldn't have dreamed of. Compared to his usual peasant clothes, these were unlike anything he'd ever seen, but if he was going to play the role of a prince, he had to look like one.

"Gosh, if my friends could see me now," Mickey marveled at his reflection.

Professor Owl and Donald, the prince's steward, came from behind Mickey. The professor admonished, "Surely, his Highness has not forgotten his royal duties...Come along, we must continue our lessons for the day."

"Lessons, but wai-" Mickey was taken by the shoulder by his professor and moved from his chambers and towards the library.

Donald let out a devilish laugh, watching the prince get admonished for his lack of service to the kingdom.

Outside the castle walls, the prince had skipped his way through Disney Town, trailing through the snow piles and occasionally engaging in the daily snowball fight with the town kids. It was quite the feeling to be free, not a care in the world about any royal duties or responsibilites - just to be normal like everyone else.

The prince halted to a stop when he saw one of the King's wagons pull through the town, captained by the weasel guards. The wagon careened through the town, stopping at each of the residences within the kingdom, demanding the townspeople that tnhey hand over food by royal order of the King,

"Mickey!" Goofy called out, followed by Riku and Aqua, "Mick! Wait up."

The prince watched as the three strangers he'd met outside the castle walls approached him.

"Gawrsh, Mickey," Goofy caught his breath. "I could abrely keep up with ya."

"My word," the prince began, examined the actions of the weasel guards that extorted food from the town. "What is the meaning of all this?"

Goofy looked back at the carriage, "That? Oh, Mickey, you know all about that. That happens all the time. The King takes all of the food in the town, Mick. All the townspeople are hungry all the time..."

The prince's face frowned in realization. He looked up to see the weasel guards demanding that the people hand over the town's goods to them. With a determined look on his face, the prince rolled up his sleeves, left Riku, Aqua and Goofy and marched towards the weasel's carriage.

Admist the weasels' extortion of the kingdom, the prince called out to them, "Halt! I am the prince and I command you to surrender your entire inventory!"

The weasels' burst out into a fit of laughter after the ridiculous claim. "Yeah right! Get outta here, peasant!"

"Will this help?" The prince lifted his hand, showing off the golden ring around his finger, flashing the kingdom's royal insignia.

The weasels and the surrounding towns people gasped, realizing that it truly was their prince.

Aqua, Riku and Goofy ran towards the crowd, chasing towards the prince.

"Hey! How do we know you're really the prince?" One of the weasels called out.

"Huh?" The mouse questioned.

"Ya could have stolen that from the castle's royal chambers," another weasel said.

"No, I didn't do any such thing," the mouse said. "I am the prince! Truly!"

"You're just a no good peasant!" The weasels laughed and approached the prince, their royal spears pointed, "The prince wouldn't sneak out of the castle on his own! You're under arrest, peasant!"

Riku, Aqua and Goofy watched as the weasels zoned in on their supposed friend.

"It looks like Mickey needs our help," Riku said. "Looks like we'll need to fight off an army of weasels!"

"Leave it to me!" Aqua said, running towards the weasels, carefully examining the metal armor which they all wore.

"Hold still, 'Your Majesty'," the weasels taunted. "We'll make sure that they take reall good care of ya...in prison!"

"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Aqua called out to the weasels.

The weasels turned around to spot the blue-haired mage, but before they could react to anything, Aqua cast a massive Thundaga spell which ripped down from the sky, striking and circling around each of the weasel guards, sparking through their suits of armor and sending jolts down every nerve of the weasels' bodies. They let out a shriek from the electrifying attack and they all collapsed in a heap, stars forming in their vision.

With the weasel guards taken down, the prince sought his escape by jumping onto the royal carriage.

"Mickey, wait!" Goofy called out to his friend, right as he, Riku and Aqua leapt aboard the carriage. The carriage made its' way out of the town, away from the defeated weasels, as the four made their escape.

Elsewhere in the kingdom, in the castle's basement, where the dungeons had lied unoccupied for years, Captain Pete and the rest of his weasel royal guards had gathered, creating a lair of sorts of their own in the dark, untraveled place.

Pete gluttonously shoved his face with a banquet of food that his weasel guards had stolen for him from the town. The town had always believed that they had offered their food and goods up to the King, but in actuality, it had all gone to Captain Pete, who selfishly and cruelly took all that was stolen for himself, alone.

As Pete shoved his face with a turkey leg, he listened to one of the weasels speak, "Now, I may be losin' my mind, Captain, but all I know is, he acted like a noble man." The weasel spoke of his encounter with the pauper in the town. "He had the royal ring!"

Pete stopped his gluttonous feeding and his eyes widened, "The ring? So...it WAS the prince I booted out!"

The weasel's eyes widened and he sputtered, "Y-you throughout the prince!? You're goin' to get it! You're goin' to ge-"

Pete tightly gripped his guard around the neck, a dark threatening tone dripping in his voice, "Not if the prince doesn't come back alive..." He let out a devilish laugh.

In the prince's royal chambers, Mickey stood by the fire, still basking in the lavish life of what it was like to be a prince. However, the enjoyment didn't last forever, as moments later, the prince's Professor entered the room with a rather serious dilemma on his mind.

Mickey watched as the unfamilar Professor Owl approached, "Your Highness, your father is in his last hours and wishes to see you at once..."

Mickey nervously stuttered and looked around the room, "We'd better find the prince. He'd want to see him."

The professor sighed, "You are the prince, sire."

"Oh, well, uh..." Mickey continued, nervously fidgeting, "I-I-I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

The professor led Mickey out of the prince's chamber and down the grand hall that led to the King's chambers. "Sire, your father is gravely ill."

The professor opened the King's chamber doors for Mickey, as the mouse quietly stepped inside. The King's bed was draped in curtains, as candles were kept lit in vigil at his bedside in his final hours.

Mickey quietly spoke to himself, "I'll explain everything. The King will understand..."

"My son...," Mickey heard the King whisper out.

Mickey turned to look towards the King's bed, somewhat taken aback, "Oh, I-I'm n-not-"

"Come closer..." the King whispered out again.

Mickey gulped and slowly stepped towards the King's bedside.

"My son," the King began.

"B-but-" Mickey tried to stop the dying King, trying to tell him that he was no actually his son, but the King continued.

"From the day you were born, I have tried to prepare you for this moment. I will be gone soon and you will be King," the dying King said. He whispered out, his breath slowly leaving, "You must promise...promise me that you will rule the land from your heart, justly and wisely."

"...I promise," Mickey whispered back.

The candle lights within the King's chamber windows were extinguished as the King passed away that evening.

In the quiet night after the King's death, Mickey moved from the royal chambers and into the grand hall, walking up to the large window that looked outward into the snowy winter night ahead. The kingdom and everyone's heart felt empty with the loss of the King.

Mickey sighed, "I have to find the prince..."

Pete snuck up behind Mickey and snatched the false prince into his grasps, lifting him up into the air, "Good day, my prince!"

"Hey!" Mickey fought back, "Hey! Let me down!"

Pete shook Mickey about, "Now that our dearly departed King is outta my way, you're gonna do every little thing I say! Cuz if you don't, I'll make sure it's the last you'll see of that cute, little doggie of yours!"

"Pluto?!" Mickey shouted in question.

"Get the picture now?" Pete laughed.

In the late winter evening, the snow heavily fell towards the earth, blanketing the entire kingdom in a thick plane of crystalline, white snow. The bells chiming from the castle signaled the sad news that fell throughout the kingdom.

As the prince, Goofy, Aqua and Riku made their way across the snow fields back towards the castle, they came across another wandering carriage that made its' way back towards the town from the castle.

"Excuse me, sir, what had happened," the prince asked the carriage driver.

The carriage driver sadly responded, "The King is dead and the prince is to be crowned at once." He said, before he pulled away.

The prince's face fell, realizing that his father had died and that he hadn't gotten the chance to live out his final moments with him. "Father..."

"Huh?" Riku, Aqua and Goofy all said together, as the mouse stopped directing the carriage.

"Now, it's up to me to right the wrongs I've seen. People going hungry in the streets, corruption everywhere..." the prince said, fiddling with the golden ring on his finger.

Aqua and Riku's mouths fell open, listening to the mouse talk in his English accent. It dawned upon them that the friend that there were with now wasn't even Mickey at all and was truly, in fact, the prince, which meant that Mickey _must_ have been left back at the castle and there had to have been some switch between the two of them that both of them didn't even notice until now!

Goofy curiously eyed the ring, "Gawrsh, you really are the prince, ain't ya?" He knelt before the King, "Sire, your wish is my command and I will guard you with my life."

"Me, too," Aqua said.

"Count me in," Riku finished.

"Come friends," the prince called out to the three. "We must return to the palace at once!"

"A visit to the dungeon is more like it!" Pete shouted, riding through the snowfields on his carriage with his army of weasel guards.

"Oh, no!" The prince cried, "Captain Pete!"

The guards through theirs spears up into the air, as they were all bound with netting. The spears surrounded the moving carriage, trapping the prince, Goofy, Riku and Aqua under the layers of netting.

"Ugh, that no good Pete," Aqua said, using her Keyblade to slash through the netting. "Let us go or I'll-"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Pete sneered with a wide grin. "Unless you want your other mousy friend to get exterminated!"

"Mickey!?" Riku asked. "Where is he!?"

"Back at the castle, of course. Been there this whole time!" Pete laughed. "Don't worry, though. You'll be headed there, too!"

The prince, Goofy, Aqua and Riku watched as the weasel guards surrounded their trapped carriage.

"To the dungeon!" Pete let out a boisterous laugh that echoed through the winter night.

* * *

In the secret chamber of the Evil Queen's castle, the queen slowly approached the mirror mounted on her wall and stared intently at her reflection with a wicked smile, still glad to see that after all this years, with a bit of dark magic, she hadn't aged a day and was still fairest of them all...or so she'd believe.

Her attention was pulled away from the ornate mirror then when she heard footsteps approach from outside of her secret chamber. She stared into the mirror to watch the intruder enter, a wry smile stretching on her lips when she saw the Mistress of All Evil appear.

"Hello, dear friend," the queen said, turning to face Maleficent. "I knew you'd come back."

"You broke into my castle and now, I'm returning the favor," Maleficent sickeningly smiled back at her friend.

The queen laughed to herself, "But of course. So, I see you've taken my offer to assist you."

"I have," Maleficent replied back.

"And what can I help grant you," the queen asked.

A dark smile strecthed across Maleficent's lips, "Revenge."

* * *

After the confrontation with and the defeat of Zurg, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Woody and Buzz made their way up the escalator and to the fourth floor of the toy store.

The fourth floor of the store had been designed to look like a circus tent, with three rings spread throughout the large store-room floor. Strung across the ceilings were popcorn lights that lit up the tall circus tent canopy and trapeze ropes that were suspended above. The tall aisle shelves were full of all sorts of toys; plush stuffed animals and teddy bears, dancing ballerinas, elephant water guns and clowns - lots and lots of clown toys.

"Whoa, it doesn't even feel like we're in a store anymore," Sora remarked.

"Yeah, it's like a big, ol' circus in here," Goofy continued.

Donald looked around, "Only one more floor until we reach the top of the store!"

"And find the hooded man..." Woody said.

Buzz scanned the area carefully, looking through the quiet toy aisles. Everything remained quiet and still. "Let's go men. We'll proceed carefully!"

The five toys carefully crept their way between the toy aisles to the escalator at the opposite end of the room. It only took a few moments longer before the Heartless had been called upon and gathered within the circus tent area.

"Heartless!"

The team withdrew their weapons and watched as the dark creatures waved their hands outward, almost as if casting a spell. The team looked onwards, watching as a dark aura appeared through the circus. The aura spread and encircled some of the toys for a brief moment before fading away.

Then, the teddy bears began to lift and move on their own, the elephant water guns let out a mighty roar and began charging towards the team, the clown let out a hysterically insane laugh with an equally insane smile painted on their faces as the hopped towards the group. In a matter of moments, the entire circus floor erupted into utter chaos as the summoned Heartless used the darkness to corrupt the toys, sending the fourth floor into a frenzy.

"Come on, let's fight through," Sora called out to his friends, as the team charged into battle and fought their way through the dark creatures.

In addition to the Heartless, the deranged toys also created an additional struggle for the the elephants water guns sprayed a rapid watery current towards the team, Goofy propelled the water away with his shield, as Donald cast a thunder spell. Woody and Buzz worked together to wrangle and lasso the clowns in place, as they hopped and bobbled along the three-ringed floor. Sora did the best he could to slash and cut through the Heartless, all the while trying to avoid the toys that charged around the store floor.

It was only a matter of time before the Heartless had been vanquished and the corrupted toys had frozen in place. The dark aura that appeared before had returned, seemingly coming from within the toys, pushing its' way out of them and fading, leaving the toys returned to normal just like before.

Sora breathed out heavily after the battle, "I didn't think going through a toy store would be this difficult."

"We're almost there," Woody said, pointing to the escalator before them that led up to the fifth floor, the highest and last floor of Galaxy Toys.

"Let's go," Sora said, leading the toys to the final escalator, which took them upwards.

Once they moved themselves off of the escalator, they saw the aisles travel a long way across this level of the store, but placed in the middle of them was a series of four different colored huge robots, called the 'Gigas' robots. In the center of each of the robots was a small chamber about Sora's size with a series of controls that activated the robots to move.

"Wow," Donald said, marveling at the large robots at the center of the aisles of toys.

"This is the last floor of the store," Goofy reminded. "No where else to go from here."

"Which means that the cloaked figure has to be here somewhere," Sora said. "We've searched every inch of the store."

"I don't think we could have missed him," Woody said.

"Well, wherever he is, he has our friends, so we have to find him. There's no turning back now," Buzz finished.

As the group stepped forward towards the Gigas robots, a series of Heartless robots appeared. Each of them appeared to be a robot themselves, having a very structured and mechanical motion as they moved.

"Heartless," Goofy cried.

"Let's take 'em out," Donald said.

The group launched into another battle against the Heartless, fighting off the unusual robot creatures, which were quite unlike anything they'd ever fought against until now. It wasn't long until the Gigas robots came to life, too and started to launch themselves into battle, but instead of fighting against the team, they were actually helping fight off the Heartless instead.

"Looks like they're on our side," Sora said, slicing through one of the Heartless, leaving it as a jumbled metal mess.

"They're defending the store," Woody said, "The other toys, too!"

The team continued fighting through the Heartless, taking out each of them one by one.

Sora got an idea then to strengthen their upper hand in the battle, while also having a little fun on the way. He leapt up into the air and landed himself into the control capsule at the center of the Gigas robots, taking control of the giant metal bot.

"Let's see what this thing can do," Sora said with an excited smile. He pressed a series of buttons inside the capsule, getting a hang of the controls and how to manuever the robot.

Using a series of joysticks, he charged the robot forwards towards a group of Heartless. He slammed down on another series of buttons, watching as the robot slammed its' large metal fists down onto the Heartless.

"Awesome," Sora smirked. Curious with what else the robot could do, Sora pressed a series of other buttons along the interior control panels of the bot.

The bot then launched its' arm outward, firing off a bunch of powerful blasts from within it, which tore right through the Heartless, destroying the creatures. With the use of the massive bot and all of its' abilities in battle, Sora and his other friends made quick work of the Heartless bots, leaving just the five friends to stand in the center of the cleared aisle.

"We did it," Donald cheered.

"But...where's the hooded guy," Goofy asked, looking around.

"This is the last floor of the store," Sora said. "They should be here..."

The sound of footprints behind them caught their attention. They turned around to spot the cloaked figure standng on a podium at the center of the store. The figure was at their smaller height now, having also shrunken down to the size of a toy.

"You!" Sora called up to the figure.

"The one who's taken our friends," Buzz said.

"Who are you," Sora asked the figure. "Another one of Xehanort's vessels?"

The figure laughed and pulled his hood back, revealing the younger Xehanort. "Exactly. Xehanort, himself, you could say."

"You again..." Sora gritted out through his teeth, seeing the familiar face again after several encounters in the Realm of Sleep.

Goofy turned to Sora and pointed at the white-haired, golden-eyed figure, "Sora, you know this guy or somethin'?"

"He's Xehanort...from the past," Sora explained, staring down the figure. "He tried to mess with me and RIku during our Mark of Mastery exam in the Realm of Sleep!"

Donald stomped his feet down, "Why, you-!"

"It's because of him I almost fell to the darkness," Sora continued. "Xehanort almost made me a part of him!"

"But he's arranged other plans now," the young Xehanort said. "He doesn't need you, at least not as vessel anyway. He's arranged for me to travel through time and space to complete his Organization so that the new Keyblade War will begin."

"Then, why are you here!?" Sora asked the vessel, summoning his Keyblade. "You're the one that took Buzz and Woody's friends' from them, weren't you?!"

"Indeed, I was, for...Xehanort's purposes," the vessel said. "I had overseen special observation over those unusual toys."

"Well, you're going to bring them back," Sora said, chargeing towards Xehanort with his Keyblade, "Where are they!?"

With a flair of his hands, the young Xehanort spread a dark aura around the Gigas robots in the room. The dark aura spread through the large toy figures, as they suddenly came to life, rising from their slumber to Xehanort's beconing. They marched in front of the dark vessel, as if to protect him.

At that same moment, Sora rushed forward to strike the younger Xehanort, but found that his Keyblade was met against the heavy fist of one of the robot's grasps. Sora's hands buckled as he tried to fend off the robot's superior strength.

"What-what is it that you want from me!? From my friends!?" Sora asked, struggling against the robot.

Xehanort smirked, "One heart's shadows fill the emptiness of another. Like Heartless and Nobodies, they fit together."

"Yeah, great! Why are you doing this!?" Sora questioned.

"There is darkness we are missing that we must reclaim," the young Xehanort smirked. "The way hearts connect in this world may provide a clue."

"That's why you needed our friends?" Buzz asked, "What for?"

The young vessel confided, "Xehanort intends to fill one of the Organization's final seats with someone who shares the other side of your heart..."

Sora clutched his heart and thought, "...Roxas..."

"Precisely," the young Xehanort smiled. "The young Nobody who could never possess a heart and somehow, still managed to feel like he had one."

"Why take our friends then!?" Woody angrily asked the threatening stranger. "They have nothing to do with what you want! They're innocent in all this!"

"I needed some time to study how beings like those toys seemed able to possess a heart, just like your friends," Young Xehanort said, gesturing to Woody and Buzz. "I needed to see how a being was able to possess a heart when they never should have...just like Roxas."

Sora gritted through his teeth, looking up at the vessel, "If Xehanort wanted Roxas, why didn't he try and take him from my heart earlier!? What is he waitinjg for?!"

"Simple. We need the darkness and light in your heart to exist within equal balance," the vessel said.

"And what will happen to me then," Sora angrily asked.

"That depends on how strong your heart is," the vessel deviously smiled. "Fracturing your heart to retrieve Roxas could prove dire for you...your heart might not survive the aftermath."

Sora clutched his heart, "You won't do anything to my heart or the people I keep inside of it!"

He fended off the robots with a strong push of his Keyblade and leapt up into the air, straight towards the young Xehanort. He swung his Keyblade towards the vessl, just missing as the young Xehanort disappeared, appearing again behind him. Sora quickly swung his Keyblade around, cutting the young Xehanort across the cheek.

The young Xehanort's eyes widened, raising his hand to his cheek to feel the blood collect over his finger tips. He quickly summonedf his Keyblade and charged towards Sora, cutting swiftly through the air at the young Keyblade Wielder, but found that every hit was counter-blocked by Sora who seemed to be one step ahead of him every second of the fight.

Sora skillfully attacked and slashed through the air, leading the fight as he fended off the dark vessel's onslaught of offense. Using his determined will which filled his mind with thoughts of nothing but overcoming his opponent, Sora attacked quicker, causing the vessel's eyes to widen, unsure if he could continue the battle with his opponent which he soon realized had grown superior in battle since their last encounter.

"Is that all you can do, Keyblade wielder," the young Xehanort taunted. trying to make Sora uneasy.

"Not even close," Sora said, before leaping backwards and sending a dark, impulsing orb of darkness from within his palm directly at the young Xehanort.

The vessel's eyes widened, as the dark orb shot through him, blasting him back into the wall. The impact caused the wall to crack and break, as dark fiery embers burnt off the young vessel's form.

Sora looked down at his hands, almost feeling guilty for continuing to use these new dark powers he didn't even yet know how to fully understand. He didn't yet know the extent of his dark powers or what they could fully do, but they were strong, powerful and the feeling of using them the rare few times he did, utterly addicting.

He knew his dark powers threatened the stability of his heart and yet, as he watched his power blast the Xehanort vessel back, he'd be ashamed to admit it, but...he enjoyed it.

He enjoyed the power the darkness wrought to him, as guilty as it felt.

Sora quickly approached the fallen vessel, pressing his Keyblade up against Young Xehanort's neck. "I can do so much more than that if you don't return our friends..."

The young vessel couldn't help but laugh, feeling himself pressed between the wall and the Keyblade. "Come on, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that..."

Sora's eyes widened, as he held the Keyblade up to the white-haired man's throat, tighter.

"Do it, then," the young Xehanort smirked, feeling the blood drip from his mouth. "Just don't let the darkness take over your heart with this next kill..."

Sora gritted through his teeth, holding his Keyblade firmly, before finally pulling it away from the man, unable to do it this time.

The young Xehanort smirked, slowly watching as the Keyblade wielder backed away from him, "Just as I thought."

"Return their friends," Sora demanded, pointing his Keyblade forward.

The young vessel slowly stood from his fallen state and smirked, "Very well...I have no more use for them. The information I've studied in their hearts is enough..."

The vessel snapped his fingers and a dark cloud appeared a short distance away in the toy store. Coming from within the dark fog, Jessie, Bullzye, Bo Peep, Slinky Dog and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head emerged.

"Buzz! Woody!" Jessie called out to ther friends, before leaping on Bullzye and making her way over to the friends. "What happened?"

Bo Peep made her way over to Woody and hugged him, "Oh, Woody...I've missed you."

Sora smiled, watching the reunion amongst the toy friends. He turned back to look at young Xehanort.

The vessel smirked, "You win...this time, but don't let your darkness make your heart give out on us..." He turned his back to Sora and the group then, "Xehanort still needs you for this new war...and the battles haven't even begun yet."

With another snap of his fingers, the vessel had summoned a dark smog around all of the toys. The smog expanded and whirled, but when it faded, the group of toys and friends had disappeared.

Moments later, back in Andy's room, Rex and Hamm awaited the return of their friends. The army men and the green aliens nervously paced around them.

"What's taking them so long," Rex nervously panicked. "Shouldn't they be back by now!?"

"Relax, Rex." Hamm unethusiastically said. "You'll get so wound up, your screws will pop out."

A dark cloud of fog appeared at the center of the room then and when it faded, Woody, Buzz, Sora, Donald and Goofy had re-appeared with Jessie, Bullzye, Bo Peep, Slinky Dog and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. The younger Xehanort had sent them back to Andy's room where they belonged.

"Woody! Buzz!" The other toys shouted in excitement upon their return.

"We're back!" Jessie replied happily, slapping Woody on the back. "Gosh, I never thought I would make it back to Andy."

"Well, we're all together again," Bo Peep said, leaning into Woody, smiling, as all of the toys had gathered together. "That's what matters."

"And we'll make sure that we'll never lose sight of our friends again," Woody said with a smile and looked at Buzz.

Buzz smiled back and promised, "That's a promise, sheriff."

Sora turned to look over his shoulder at Donald and Goofy with a smile, "We did it."

* * *

At the Disney Castle in Mickey's memories of the past, the dark night had passed since Captain Pete had captured the real prince, Aqua, Riku and Goofy and morning soon came - the morning of the day the prince would become the king...or in the case of this twisted tale, Mickey would become the king.

In the dungeons built beneath the Disney Castle, the four friends remained locked behind a wooden door, with only a small square window lined with cold, metal bars. The four pried and pulled at the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"Let us go," Aqua said, striking the door with her Keyblade, but it wouldn't break or budge. "We didn't do anything wrong!"

"You'll regret this," Riku threatened, watching as Pete stomped his way through the castle dungeon and up to their cell.

Pete left out a loud, boisterous laugh. They all finally understood why King Mickey, Queen Minnie and the rest of the people of Disney Town had such an animosity towards Pete in the present day. He was such a ruthless bully and seemed to find enjoyment out of being a nuisance - at least in the past, that is!

"You'll pay for this, Captain!" The real prince threatened from behind the cell door," I demand you release us right now!"

"Haha! Don't worry, I have another guest to join your little prison party," Pete said with a big laugh. The group saw Donald in Pete's grasps then.

Donald shouted and struggled in his grasps, "Hey! Let go of me! I'm the prince's steward!"

Pete quickly opened the prison door and tossed Donald inside, shutting and locking the door shut.

Donald fell to the ground at the feet of the prince. He looked up with an agitated temper, before realizing that the prince was there. "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! What are you doing in here!?"

"That no good Pete threw us in here, too, Donald," Goofy explained. "He's up to no good again!"

"Like usual," Donald said, rubbing his backside. "That big palooka!"

"We'll have to try and find a way out of here," Aqua said.

Suddenly, the sound of bells and trumpets was heard echoing elsewhere from within the castle, as a ceremony began.

The prince's eyes widened in realization, "The coronation!"

In the grand hall of the Disney Castle, the royals and people of Disney Town had gathered in honor and respect of welcoming their new king. They all gathered to watch the prince's coronation, where he would be crowned with the ornate, jeweled headpiece that officially signified him as the king.

A royal trumpet melody welcome the commencement of the coronation.

As the prince's professor slowly made his way down the carpeted aisle at the center of the room, Mickey nervously trailed along slightly behind him, carefully watching all the sets of eyes pass him as he made his way down the aisle.

He couldn't really do this, could he? He couldn't keep this act up any longer. He couldn't really be the king...

"My lord..." the professor called out to Mickey, making sure that the prince kept up with him as they made their way to the altar at the far end of the chamber.

Mickey nervously watched Pete from in the crowd, remembering how he had threatened Pluto if he didn't do everything that he wanted. Mickey knew that if he was to become the King, he'd be tied down by Pete the entire time and forced to do whatever the villain wanted - but if it meant keeping his beloved Pluto safe, he felt as if his hands were tied.

Mickey continued nervously trailing down the aisle.

Back in the dungeon beneath the castle, the real prince, Donald, Goofy Riku and Aqua still struggled to be released from the locked prison cell. One of Pete's weasel guards kept close watch over the dungeon, ensuring that the five wouldn't escape while the coronation ceremony proceeded.

"I demand you to release us at once," the prince said strongly.

The weasel scoffed, interrupted from his map. "Ehh, shut up!" The weasel smacked his lips and closed his eyes again.

Riku turned to Aqua, "What are we going to do..."

The friends looked outside of the small window in the door, spying on the weasel guard. It wasn't long before they noticed the set of keys that jingled from the weasel's waist.

"Ah..." Donald said, pointing to the keys.

"That could be our way out," Goofy said.

"But how do we get them," the prince pondered. "It's too far away...and I don't think we'll be able to steal them from the guard without him noticing."

Aqua thought for a long moment, "Maybe we can..."

"Hm?" The others turned to Aqua and watched as the mage used her powerful magical abilties to cast a magical spell outside the locked prison door.

As the weasel stretched, slowly falling into sleep, Aqua's magnetic spell emerged, attaching itself to the keys, as they slowly unclipped itself from the weasel's belt and floated gracefully through the air and towards the prison cell. The keys sparkled in the air as Aqua concentrated carefully on directing the keys towards her, as they slid through the iron bars of the door window and floated down into her hand.

"Got 'em," Aqua said with a big smile.

"Quick, open the door," the prince said.

"But quiety!" Donald warned.

Aqua nodded and quietly placed her arm through the iron bars and adjusting it so that she could reach down to the keyhole at the front of the prison door.

The guard let out a startled snore then, which caused Aqua to freeze in place, in fear of getting caught. The weasel tossed for a moment, before slumping back against the wall and returning to his unauthorized work nap.

Aqua found the tiny keyhole and tried a key, it didn't fit. She tried a second one, but still was not a match.

"What's taking so long," Riku asked.

"There's so many keys." Aqua said, carefully shifting her fingers between the different ones. "They must be for all the different cells.

She tried a few more, but then she finally found a key that fit and slid into the lock. She turned the key and the prison cell lock unlatched, opening the door and freeing the five trapped friends. They quickly made their way out of the prison cell.

"Come on, we gotta get to that coronation," the prince said, leading them away from the dungeon before any of the weasel guards could catch on.

Back in the grand hall of the castle, Mickey approached the king's throne at the end of the altar, as the ceremony was about to commence.

The royal archbishop that held the ceremony called the young mouse forth, directing him to sit in the royal throne, "Ahem, be seated, sire."

Mickey, donned in his royal robes, very nervously took a sit in the throne as the ceremony officially began.

The archbishop rose the crown over Mickey's head, about to make the young mouse the king. "It is both my duty and pleasure to crown you a-"

Just as the archbishop was about to crown Mickey, the mouse dodged out of the way, knowing that the crown's placement on his head would make his royal status official.

"To crown y-" The archbishop tried again, but Mickey shuffled out of the way on the throne again. "I say, a rather wirey lad. So slippery! Would you hold still!?"

"STOP!" Mickey finally shouted, halting the ceremony, drawing a loud gasp from the entire hall.

Pete's eyes widened, "What the-"

Mickey moved himself off of the throne then, "Look, I'm the prince, right? And whatever I order must be done, right?"

"Eh...bu-...em, yeeesss," the archbishop confusingly stuttered.

"Well then," Mickey thought and then pointed in the crowd towards Pete. "The Captain is an insolent scoundrel! Guards, seize him!"

Pete countered, "Seize him! He's an imposter!"

The weasel guards rushed towards the throne then and corner Mickey, a sly grin stretching across Pete's face.

"I'm not, Captain!" The crowd gasped seeing the prince at the back of the hall with Donald, Goofy, Aqua and RIku.

Pete's eyes widened, "Huh!?"

The group of friends charged down the aisle and towards the throne, where Mickey and Pete stood. In the process, Aqua and Riku summoned their Keyblades and pointed them straight towards the devious Captain.

Pete nervously placed his hands in front of him, as if to keep the group at bay, "Now, now, now, wait a minute! Your Majesty! I can explain everything!"

"Very well." The prince nodded, "I await your explanation."

Pete sincerely smiled, "Your Majesty is too kind..." He reached towards his holster.

Mickey watched as Pete went to retrieve the sword kept at his waist. "Look out!"

Riku rushed forward and raised his Keyblade blocking Pete's sword from coming down on the prince. The crowd gasped at the drama that ensued.

Aqua rushed towards Pete and RIku, holding her Keyblade at Pete's side. "I'd say your affiliation with the royal family is over, Captain!"

"Aw, rats!" Pete sneered, realizing that the two had him cornered and his only way out was to give in and flee. He withdrew his sword and ran back down the aisle adn towards the exit of the castle, "You haven't seen the last of me, I promise you that!"

Riku and Aqua turned to watch Pete escape from the castle.

"He escaped..." Mickey said.

"Don't worry, he won't present our kingdom a problem anymore," the prince said.

Aqua smirked and rolled her eyes, "Well, we'll have to see about that..."

`Mickey and the prince turned to one another. "Oh boy, am I glad to see...what a time I've..." they both said at the same time, before they burst into a fit of giggles.

"So, what happens now," Riku asked, looking at the crowd that stared at all of them on the altar.

The archbishop interrupted them, "You see, I still do need to crown someone the king of our kingdom."

Mickey turned to the prince and smiled, gesturing towards the throne, "It should be you, Your Majesty. You are the prince, after all. The spot should be yours..."

The prince thought for a long moment about the adventures they had had over the last day and thought hard about this decision. The prince smiled and shook his head, "No. I think you've earned this spot."

"What?" Mickey asked, wide-eyed and surprised.

"You understand what our kingdom needs, Mickey," the prince explained. "You are one of the people of Disney Town, you understand them in ways that I never could. The best way to lead our people is to understand their hardships and struggles in ways I never had to."

"But...but..." Mickey looked around nervously. "Are you sure? I can't be a king! I'm not royalty."

"One does not need to be royalty to become a king, Mickey," the prince stated, matter-of-factly.

"He's right, Mickey," Aqua said. "You'll do amazing things."

"Sounds like the people of Disney Town need you, Mickey," Riku said.

The prince took Mickey by the hand and led him up to the throne at the altar. Mickey stood before the archbishop and looked upwards at the crown that was descending down upon him.

He looked back at the prince who happily obliged to step down from his royal status and offer the role to someone much more suitable for the responsibilities and harships of running the kingdom.

The archbishop proudly placed the crown down upon Mickey's head, "I, therefore crown you, King of Disney Town!"

The crowd erupted into a great roar of cheers and applause as the crown was placed on Mickey's head and he had become the king everyone knew him to be. Today would mark the start of Mickey's great role of taking care of his kingdom and ensuring that the light and happiness within it remained safe - doing everything he could to ensure the kingdom's happy future.

Riku and Aqua watched the scene from afar, looking at the town celebrating around Mickey's surprise coronation.

Riku smirked, "I suppose that's the story of how Mickey became the King..."

"He's a great one," Aqua smiled. "A great fit for the role."

"He'll be even better once we get him back to normal. His memories should be nearly restored now," Riku said.

A film reel portal with a black and white classic image of Mickey's face appeared a short distance away, ast the far corner of the castle.

"Come on, we should get back," Aqua said to RIku.

The two Keyblade Masters made their way to the portal at the corner of the room and disappeared within it, taking them back to the present day Disney Castle.

* * *

Gathered around in Andy's room, Sora, Donald and Goofy sat on the edge of Andy's bed, watching the reunion between all of the friends. They saw Woody and Bo Peep close together as Buzz explained to Jessie and Rex about their adventures through Galaxy Toys and the take down of the evil Emperor Zurg.

Slinky Dog and Hamm reunited, herding Bo Peep's runaway sheep back to the makeshift pen that Andy had made out of cardboard.

Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head had reunited with the green alien men who, to Sora, Donald and Goofy's surprise, appeared to be their adopted children.

Woody and Buzz shared a laugh as they explained their adventures through Galaxy World with Sora and the others on a quest to save all of their friends.

Sora smiled over the scene, looking down at all the toys together again.

"Gawrsh Sora, that's the biggest smile I've seen on your face in some time," Goofy said, looking over to his friend.

"I just like it when friends find one another again," Sora said with a small chuckle. "I guess I've been bogged down by a lot of things recently."

"Your darkness," Donald questioned.

"Yeah," Sora nodded honestly. "That being the biggest thing bringing me down."

"Gawrsh, Sora..." Goofy began. "You know, I was wonderin' somethin'. Back in the store when we you were fightin' that Xehanort vessel, you fought and nearly won..."

"Yeah," Donald cheered. "You could've destroyed him if you wanted to!"

Sora nodded, his lips thinning, "Yeah...I could have."

"But you didn't," Goofy said. "Why didn't you?"

Sora sighed and looked down at the new friends he had met that day, as he thought back to the events of the battle and what the young Xehanort had said to him. "Because...I was about to fight him, but then he said something that reminded me of Riku...and I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

"Aw, you miss Riku," Donald said. "It's been a long time since you've seen him."

"Gawrsh, since the beginning of this new adventure," Goofy said.

"Of course I miss Riku," Sora said with a small smile. "It feels like ever since I left my island years ago, it's been a constant adventure trying to reunite with RIku, Kairi...Roxas and Lea, all my friends that I've made along the way..."

Donald and Goofy nodded as they listened to Sora speak.

Sora continued, "When I saw that Buzz and Woody needed help finding their own friends, well, I understood how they felt...because there was a time when I'd explore every world with the two of you if it meant finding our friends." He smiled, "I wanted to be there for Buzz and Woody, the same way that you were there for me, Donald and Goofy."

"Aw, shucks," Goofy smiled.

"What are friends for?" Donald smiled.

Sora raised a hand over his heart, "I don't know what will happen with the darkness inside my heart, but I know that...with friends by my side, I'm not fighting it alone."

"Yepp, we'll be there for you to help fight your darkness every step of the way," Donald continued. "So, it looks like you're stuck with us, ya big palooka!"

Goofy laughed, "Yeah! All for one and one for all, remember?"

There was a sparkle of light that appeared from across the room then.

"Huh?" Sora said, looking up from his friends.

Across the room, in the corner by the closet, there was a colorful toy chest with a lock at the front. The lock glimmered and glistened as the Keyhole was revealed. Andy's love for his toys was truly what represented the core of that world and that was symbolised through this small, ordinary chest, one which held his favorite toys.

"The Keyhole," Donald and Goofy said.

Sora smiled, raising his Keyblade upwards as he stood on the bed. From the end of the Keyblade, a glorious, radiant light appeared, which propelled from the blade, shot across the room and entered into the Keyhole. The lock grew brighter and sparkled as a faint locking sound could be heard.

The world had been sealed away from the darkness.

Moments later, the light within the Keyhole faded and all returned to normal.

"What was that," Woody said, looking up at Sora, Donald and Goofy sitting on the edge of the bed.

"That means our work here is done," Sora said with a smile. "Now, the darkness won't be able to come and take your friends away."

"You're leaving so soon," Buzz asked. "But we all just got back. Andy hasn't even come home yet!"

"I know, but...there are other friends out there that need us," Sora tried to explain. "You all might be together again...but Donald, Goofy and I, we have a lot more friends to help out."

Woody and Buzz nodded, understandingly, "Thanks for everything, guys. You toys really are something else."

Woody smiled at the new friends, "You're welcome back to visit us and Andy anytime you want. We really owe you one."

"Don't mention it," Sora said with a smile, letting out a small chuckle.

"What are friends for?" Sora said, as Donald and Goofy toppled onto his shoulders in a fit of laughter.

The toys had been restored to Andy's room, Buzz and Woody had accomplished another adventure together and all was as it should be.

* * *

"So, what are you implying," the queen asked Maleficent. "Is it an alliance you wish for?"

"If that's what you'd call it," Maleficent said, turning to stare at her reflection in the queen's magic mirror. "Rather, an exchange of favors."

"Oh?" The queen raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And what would that be?"

"Well, you can have full access to my dark magic, powers far beyond your own..." Maleficent said, with a sickening smile, "...and I need your mirror."

"Intriguing, still," the queen smiled, letting out a small dark laugh. "My magic mirror knows and sees all. It can show you the past, the present and even what might come in the future."

"I'm well aware," Maleficent said. "Which is specifically why I need it to enact my revenge."

"Revenge on whom, if you don't mind," the queen asked.

Maleficent turned from the mirror with a sly smile, a dark glare in her eyes, "Have you ever heard of a man named Xehanort?"

The queen raised her eyebrows and smiled, "I've heard of the name once, yet never met the man. He's the one that controls much of the darkness, is he not?"

Maleficent laughed and sneered, "The darkness is controlled by no one, yet he'd like to believe otherwise."

"Why go to such lengths to seek revenge on Xehanort? Wouldn't that be helping those pathetic heroes of light?" The queen asked, "What has Xehanort done to deserve such a reckoning?"

"That is quite the story to tell, one which matters not." Maleficent bowed her head, "The man manipulated me into doing his bidding - my original plan of collecting all sevel princesses of heart, all just for his disposal. I don't take that kind of manipulation and deception lightly." She let out a light laugh, "And if it means helping the heroes for a spell, then so be it. They'll receive my wrath sure enough, too."

The queen smirked, "Well, what do you plan to do to this...this Xehanort?"

Maleficent evilly smiled, "Be the thorn in his plans...and use my darkness to destroy his own."

The queen raised her eyebrows, impressed with the Mistress of All Evil. "There's the malevolent, dark witch I remember. Oh, how I've missed her."

Maleficent couldn't help but smile at her friend.

"Now then, shall we?" The queen said, guiding Maleficent to the wall, where the ornate magic mirror stood.

The queen stood before the mirror, casting her arms forward. "Slave in the Magic Mirror, come from the farthest space! Through wind and darkness, I summon thee. Speak!"

A blast of wind swirled through the queen's chamber then, as the glass frame of the mirror filled with flames, as the slave within the mirror was summoned from regions beyond.

"Let me see thy face," the queen finished, watching as the whispy, smoke-filled glass parted and the slave of the magic mirror appeared within the glass.

"What wouldst thou know, my queen?" The mirror's voice echoed from within.

The evil queen stared at Maleficent from the corner of her eye and gave a wry smile. "Magic Mirror on the wall, give us a clue to ensure Xehanort's fall."

The slave closed his eyes for a moment, as if searching through his mind's eyes to find the answers the two evil villainesses sought. Maleficent and the Queen stared into the mirror, waiting with anticipation for their answer.

The mirror finally spoke, "Hidden away with twenty locks, where war once waged is this black box..."

The slave's face in the mirror faded away then as an image of a war-torn trench came into view through the magic mirror. The wind whirled and whipped the desert sand away, revealing a black box at the bottom of the endless trench and desert.

Maleficent smiled with this newfound information.

The queen looked at her friend, "What are you planning?"

"Simple." Maleficent turned to the queen with a wicked smile. "Find that mysterious black box and open it before Xehanort can."

* * *

At the Mysterious Tower, Kairi watched over Ansem as he slept, the man still recovering from his memories being wiped from him and from his second stint in the Realm of Darkness.

Lea approached her, "Hey, everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind," Kairi said. "My talk with Ansem...made me realize there's so much more to my past and my family then I realized. My grandma...she was there at the beginning...during the Keyblade War. She was there when the darkness came to exist and clashed against the light..."

Lea raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Seems like there's a lot more to this 'Keyblade War' then we initially thought."

"Oh, I know there is. Ansem told me as much," Kairi confirmed. "What that is though, I...I don't know, but my grandmother did."

Lea looked at Kairi, confused.

She continued, "She wrote an entire diary, a journal that explained all of the events that had happened during that first Keyblade War."

"Wait, seriously?" Lea said.

Kairi nodded, "When their world was separated, she ended up in Radiant Garden and must have brought that journal with her, or at least that's what Ansem believes. It...has to be in the castle somewhere."

Lea nodded, "...the library."

"Of course!" Kairi said, a determined look on her face. "When I can, I have to get back to Radiant Garden and find my grandmother's journal. If she was really there at the time the darkness was created..."

Lea waited for Kairi to finish.

"...then maybe, her journal will give us a clue on how we can _destroy_ it," Kairi finished. "I have to find the truth!"

* * *

Sora, Donald and Goofy pioneered the Gummi Ship through the intergalactic lanes between the worlds, soaring at a great speed through the sky.

Donald stretched out, "I never thought I'd be so happy to be myself again." He was quite relieved to not be a toy anymore.

Spooky removed himself from Sora's hood and happily sat on Sora's head.

"Gawrsh, looks like Spooky's happy, too, that we're back," Goofy said with a smile.

"Let's just hope we don't get shrunken down in size anymore," Sora said with a smile.

Chip and Dale soon came over the Gummi Ship's intercom. "Hey guys! We're sensing a weird pattern along the Gummi Route up ahead."

Dale continued, "Yeah, it's like the Gummi Route has been erased, which is weird sincde this is one we've been down before!"

"Erased?" Donald and Goofy looked at each other.

"We're guessin' that it's the Heartless ships causing trouble out there," Chip said. "You can find another way around, but it looks like the gummi route ahead is closed!"

Sora sighed and let go of the controls, somewhat agitated. "How are we supposed to get there now?"

"What?" Donald replied, just as agitated that Sora had forgotten the gummi routes after the countless times they'd soared through them. "I thought you knew!"

"Looks like this ol' highway is closed," Goofy said. "Didn't Master Yen Sid say that Sora should trust the guidance his heart gives?"

Donald turned from Goofy to look at Sora, almost whining. "Come on, Sora! Which way?"

Sora leaned back in the seat and placed his arms behind his head, "Ummm..."

"Hey!" Donald chastized him, "Would you get serious?"

"Give me a break! I'm trying!" Sora defended, trying to trust the 'guidance his heart' was giving him.

"Well, since we've already been down this gummi route before, why don't we try picturin' our destination like we're already there," Goofy suggested.

Sora moved himself up from his seat and closed his eyes, continuing his concentration on their destination. They'd been down this way before, but where did it lead to?

Agrabah? Halloween Town? Atlantica?

He couldn't remember after all the worlds they'd been to.

"Well..." Donaled pried.

Sora shook his head and sighed, "Sorry, I got nothing. What did you expect?"

"Awww..." Donald threw himself back in his chair and sighed.

Goofy thought for a long moment, "May your heart be your guiding key..."

"That again?" Sora said, recalling how Yen Sid had told him and his friends that at the start of their adventure.

"Master Yen Sid always said that, right before we went off on any of our important adventures," Goofy explained.

"May my heart...be my guiding key," Sora repeated to himself and then smiled.

He ran to the front of the ship, staring out of the glass window at the abyss before them. He summoned his Keyblade and pointed it forward. A brilliant light appeared from within the Keyblade and opened a path along the gummi route before them, revealing the world ahead at the end of their voyage.

"Alright!" Donald cheered.

"You did it!" Goofy smiled

The three friends took control of the gummi ship and prepared for their next adventure.

Sora smiled, gripping the controls of the gummi ship tightly, "Olympus Coliseum, here we come!"

The gummi ship blasted off through the sky.


	13. Author's Note

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry about the long delay once again, but I am getting back to working on writing for this again very soon. I needed to take a break with writing for a little bit with personal life being at the forefront, but I'm really looking forward to getting back to this and I do apologize about the delay. Though, the break has given me time to think more of the pacing of the story and hammer out some of the details of Sora's adventures.

Here is what's coming up in the next chapter, which was hinted at in the end of Chapter 12.

 **Chapter Thirteen - The Trial of Titans**

Sora, Donald and Goofy depart for Olympus Coliseum, but find themselves scaling new heights as they ascend Mount Olympus to reunite with Hercules. However, when the three are sensed in the royal temples with the Demi-God, Hades unleashes his powerful forces, the Titans, against the heroes in a destructive melee. Hades' agenda against Sora and his friends aren't all he has up his sleeve, when Maleficent seeks out help from the Lord of the Dead and a deal is exchanged. Elsewhere, Riku and Aqua m begin the final stages of restoring Mickey's mind from the darkness...yet as one trial ends, another begins, as in many worlds among the stars, the darkness' wrath has struck once again.


End file.
